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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/29441052">Exposed and Entangled</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/EmeraldRoseQuartz/pseuds/EmeraldRoseQuartz'>EmeraldRoseQuartz</a>, <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/TalkLokiToMe/pseuds/TalkLokiToMe'>TalkLokiToMe</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Loki: Agent of Asgard, Marvel, Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate-Timeline Loki, Angst, Bondage, Boudoir, Dirty Talk, Exhibitionism, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Fluff and Smut, Loki smut, Masterbation, Mentions of Emotional Abuse, Oral Sex, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Photography, Post-Avengers (2012), Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Praise Kink, Professional Relationship, Recreational Drug Use, Sexual Tension, Smut, Vaginal Fingering, Vaginal Sex, bondage and suspension, breaking workplace boundries, controlling ex-boyfriends, loki romance, lokixofc, mentions of torture, references to dieting/calories</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-02-14</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-05-09</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-15 17:27:45</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Explicit</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>9</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>37,530</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/29441052</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/EmeraldRoseQuartz/pseuds/EmeraldRoseQuartz, https://archiveofourown.org/users/TalkLokiToMe/pseuds/TalkLokiToMe</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Callista Dupont is a rising star in the New York modeling scene, in particular with boudoir photography. Her best work is with the eccentric and reclusive photographer Loki Laufeyson...but perhaps their feelings for each other have finally extended beyond their working relationship. (This story takes place with alternate-timeline Loki, after he escapes with the Tesseract post-Avengers)</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Loki (Marvel)/Original Female Character(s)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>139</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>92</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Chapter 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>When her Uber was a block away from útlægur Studio, Callista Dupont pulled her compact mirror out of her bag to check her hair and lipstick. Everything was perfectly in place, artfully styled after years of experience modeling, but when it came to Loki Laufeyson, she couldn't help but double, or sometimes triple check. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She thanked her driver when he pulled over, stepping out into the frigid cold of a late January morning in New York City. She clutched her coat tight around her, pausing to look up at the wide windows near the top of the building, windows that would be providing most of the light for the shoot, as always. How many times had she walked through this door and over to the elevator, pressing the small white button for his floor? Over a dozen by now. And yet she never ceased to feel the little flutter of nerves, as though the elevator somehow left her stomach behind as it lifted her up every time. Today she was especially apprehensive, filled with both nerves and excitement to see her favorite photographer.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He contacted her two days ago about a last minute boudoir shoot--a special order for Valentine's Day. Laufeyson almost exclusively shot boudoir, his high-profile clients able to pay for his discretion as he accommodated their wide range of tastes in the most artistic and breathtaking fashion Callista had ever seen. This latest email contained the usual contract, discussing terms, payments, expectations for the shoot--nothing out of the ordinary. Except this time he had added a note, explaining that the session was to be more intimate in nature, and requesting her consent for partner work.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Laufeyson was never anything but professional, but...</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She would be lying to herself if she didn't admit she was attracted to him, if she hadn't hoped he might ask her out, fantasized what it might be like to have those elegant hands on her body.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>So when she received his email, she agreed right away to the partner work, wondering if this "special order" might not be his way of initiating something more between them.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She let herself through the front door, walking through the small gallery room where her own body was featured prominently amongst his other work. Her eyes found him immediately when she turned the corner into his studio. He was standing near the window, fiddling with one of his cameras, and God save her, his hair was down. Silky onyx waves that he always wore tied back hung loose around his shoulders.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Her mouth felt terribly dry all of a sudden, and when he lifted a hand to run through his hair, pushing the locks away from his face to better reveal those chiseled cheekbones, all the air seemed to leave the room. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She suddenly felt sure that this must be it, that his invitation was exactly what she'd hoped it was. Taking a deep breath, she stepped toward him, but something caught her eye on the other side of the room.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Another man was there, walking from the dressing room and onto the set.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <b>“Ah, Callista, you’re here, good.” Loki muttered, still distracted by his equipment. He was always fidgeting with it, never seeming to find the angle that was EXACTLY right. But it was always close enough, for mortal eyes, at least.</b>
</p>
<p>
  <b>He’d been living among the mortals long enough by now to know what they could and couldn’t see.</b>
</p>
<p>
  <b>
    <em>Nine years</em>
  </b>
  <b>...it had been </b>
  <b>
    <em>nine years</em>
  </b>
  <b> since that fateful day when, somehow, the Tesseract ended up at his feet while he was being dragged away in chains. He’d run - knowing all kinds of enemies were chasing him: Thanos, the Avengers, the Asgardians, and who could say what other beings turned on him during his fall from grace. But in the end, he’d returned to the place he knew none of them would expect him to be hiding - New York City. And being an eccentric artist in this urban hellscape seemed appropriate and, more importantly, accepted. Any number of wealthy beneficiaries were willing to throw him money to create the art that they wanted, and after a few years of expertly using his charm and skills, he’d built a comfortable life for himself.</b>
</p>
<p>
  <b>The irony that he could literally use his OWN NAME without drawing suspicion amused him endlessly...so many other “eccentric artists” had taken up the mantle since the attack that he simply became “one of them.” Just another layer of social camouflage while he lived out his exile.</b>
</p>
<p>
  <b>He finally gave up on affixing the rudimentary instrument any more precisely than it already was before turning to his favorite model, Callista. She was the perfect combination of beauty, apathy, mystery, and discretion - just what he needed in this line of work. And he knew he could rely on her to perform professionally under the unusual commission he found himself contracted to provide. A reclusive billionaire wanted “intimate” shots, with bondage, kinks, leather, ropes...and more than one subject. It wasn’t something he had tried before, but the paycheck from this shoot alone could keep him comfortable for another decade if he did it right. And he needed at least several more decades before he might be able to escape this realm and explore the rest of the universe, when everyone believed he had died or disappeared or...really, he didn’t care what they thought. For now, he just had to focus on his work. And his models.</b>
</p>
<p>
  <b>“This is Dominico, your partner for the shoot,” Loki said somewhat dismissively. “Say hello - you two are going to get to know each other very well over the next few hours.”</b>
</p>
<p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Dominico,” Callista repeated automatically, as if the man’s name was some strange, foreign word she’d never heard of before. Her eyes flicked back to Loki before returning to the other model. She stared at the man, heart sinking as mortification rose like a hot air balloon from her stomach to her face. He was beautiful, of course. Short golden hair with a slight wave to it contrasted perfectly with his brilliant blue eyes. His wide square jaw and flawlessly straight nose looked like they’d been carved from marble. It didn’t hurt that the rest of him seemed to be comprised almost entirely of abs from the bare torso she could see between the sides of his black silk robe.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Yes, they would photograph well together. He was beautiful. And she was an idiot.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Before her face could get any more noticeably pink, she walked over to Dominico and extended her hand, very determinedly not looking at Loki Laufeyson.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It’s nice to meet you, Dominico. I’ll just be a few moments while I go get changed.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Dominico gave her a nod and a polite smile, and she hurried back into the dressing room, pulling the requested black lingerie and stockings out of her bag. The shoots always started with some kind of clothing--robes, stockings, lingerie, sometimes heels--even jewelry sometimes--and little by little they would all be removed as the shoot progressed to the more explicitly erotic photos. Normally she thrived on the progression. Each layer stripped away would make the viewer, not the subject, more vulnerable when done right. The intrigue, the shock, the awe. Sometimes even devotion. She loved that her body could inspire that in others. Apparently, just not the person she’d hoped.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Fuck. Why had she been so sure that this contract was different than any other? Letting herself get her hopes up like a silly school girl waiting for her crush to pass her a note in class. She was so distracted by her own mental reprimand that she didn’t realize her bra strap had gone on all twisted and she had to take it off to fix it before putting it back on.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Get it together!</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She looked in the full-length mirror, checking that everything was in order before pulling on her own black robe and stepping back into the studio.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p>
<p>
  <b>Loki was just finishing telling Dominico about how he wanted to shoot when Callista emerged from the dressing room. He shot a quick glance at her, but forced himself not to linger. Over the centuries he’d learned to recognize when he was becoming too attached or involved with someone or something. He had a tendency to...fixate. And then his judgement would falter. He still had the scars from when he decided that sparring with Amora would be a good idea...</b>
</p>
<p>
  <b>“Alright, Callista, you’ve done this before. I’ve explained to Dominico what to expect. So...let’s get to it.”</b>
</p>
<p>
  <b>He tied his hair back with a green ribbon before leaving the set - a large four poster bed with black satin sheets and white gossamer fabric strewn about. The images would be in black and white - partially to make them more dramatic, but also to take advantage of Callista’s unique and beautiful grey eyes. They seemed to come alive when not surrounded by saturating color...</b>
</p>
<p>
  <b>Again, he pushed that urge to fixate from his mind.</b>
</p>
<p>
  <b>Taking up his Nikon Z50 and affixing the 50-200mm lens, he crouched down to get the angle he wanted...and they began.</b>
</p>
<p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Callista and Dominico removed their robes at the same time, approaching the bed. At first Loki started out by directing them through some close up shots that didn’t require much interaction between the two of them. Hands fisted in sheets, her hair strewn artfully over a pillow, the muscles flexing in Dominico’s back as held himself suspended above the bed. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>But then they moved to full shots of the two of them interacting. Dominico’s hands splayed over the small of her back, his hand on her thigh as he pulled it over his hip. A few silhouettes of them at the window, holding, touching, positioning this way and that, trying to catch the light just right. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Callista forced herself to focus on the job and not her disappointment and embarrassment. She remembered her angles, tilting her head demurely, then throwing her hair provocatively as needed. She looked out from under her lashes at the right moments, looked away and bit her lip, trying to give Loki a variety of positions, angles, and moods to work with. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>As angry as she was with herself, she still craved his praise. It always did something to her when she hit a groove. His excitement became a visceral thing in the room. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>“That’s it, excellent. Good girl, stay just like that.”</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The sound of his voice saying those words had helped her get through many lonely nights. And though he was always so formal, when he occasionally slipped and called her “Calli,” well, it </span>
  <em>
    <span>did</span>
  </em>
  <span> things to her.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>But she was getting no such praise now. He was quiet except for the clicking of his camera and his occasional direction. She had to try harder.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Pulling Dominico playfully by the waistband of his black boxer briefs, she backed them up to the bed. She let herself fall back, let him rear up over her. As his hands slid over her hips and up her ribs, she closed her eyes and imagined it was Loki. She imagined his voice saying her name, telling her she was a good girl. Her back arched off the bed, but when she opened her eyes and stared into Dominico’s bright blue ones, the magic was gone.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p>
<p>
  <b>“STOP!”</b>
</p>
<p>
  <b>Loki huffed with frustration. What was this, a low-budget porn shoot? Dominico’s expressions and movements were completely wrong - less </b>
  <b>
    <em>couture boudoir </em>
  </b>
  <b>and more gay sex club in a shady borough of the city. Callista, bless her heart, was doing her best, and she almost - </b>
  <b>
    <em>almost </em>
  </b>
  <b>- was able to salvage the shoot when her eyes were closed. But as soon as they opened, as soon as he was about to capture those intriguing eyes...the magic was lost.</b>
</p>
<p>
  <b>Without even addressing his models, he stomped off toward the fire escape with a grumbled “Take a ten,” before heading out into the cold, grey late-January afternoon and taking a long drag from his vape pen, relaxing as the vapor filled his lungs and then was expelled into the chilly air.</b>
</p>
<p>
  <b>He rather hoped Callista might come join him, though truth be told he wouldn’t be surprised if his off-putting attitude had put both his models in a mood.</b>
</p>
<p>
  <b>
    <em>Well isn’t this just perfect...what a waste of a day...</em>
  </b>
</p>
<p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Callista sat on the bed watching Loki leave the room. He had never walked out on one of their sessions before. She was so surprised it took her a minute to realize Dominico was standing there holding her robe out to her. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh, thanks,” she mumbled, getting up and putting it on. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You good?” He looked back at the door where Loki had disappeared, brows furrowed.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You weren’t uncomfortable with anything I did, right? It was so damn quiet in here the whole time I felt like I couldn’t say anything to check.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh no. You were fine. Totally professionally.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Totally robotic, more like.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Okay good.” He looked relieved, giving her what he clearly thought was a winning smile. “I know it’s going to get a little more intense when we start using bondage. Just tell me if you need me to do anything differently.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Damn, the poor guy really was trying. Callista felt a little guilty and offered him a sincere smile. “Thanks, I appreciate it. I’m just going to go check with...check to see if there’s anything we should start setting up.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Dominico nodded, already pulling out his phone as Callista padded away to find Loki. She spotted him on the fire escape through one of the windows. She clutched her robe tightly around her. Even though he’d shut the window behind him to keep in the heat, the draft from the frigid cold outside seeped in around the edges. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Shit. He looked pissed. She didn’t want to intrude, but....</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She knocked quietly on the window as though it were a door, waiting to see if he wanted to talk or if he would simply wave her away, holding up a finger or two to indicate he would be right in.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p>
<p>
  <b>Loki grinned when he heard the quiet knock, knowing it was her before turning around. He moved to face her, not opening the window since she was so scantily clad...then just put his hand in the glass, leaned forward, and rested his forehead there as well. The icy sting of the frigid window against his skin was almost soothing, but he was sure he looked tired and frustrated - he had a harder and harder time covering those emotions up the longer he lived among the humans. With a steaming sigh, he turned his eyes up to meet hers.</b>
</p>
<p>
  <b>She looked concerned. Sad. Worried. She clutched her robes together with one hand as he regarded her, took her in...</b>
</p>
<p>
  <b>
    <em>Norns she’s beautiful. She’d give any Asgardian a run for their money...</em>
  </b>
</p>
<p>
  <b>Her grey eyes searched his soul through that snow-lined pane of glass, wondering, waiting.</b>
</p>
<p>
  <b>It seemed they no longer needed words to convey how they were feeling - she was an excellent muse, if just for that.</b>
</p>
<p>
  <b>And then he knew what he had to do.</b>
</p>
<p>
  <b>Standing and opening the window so he could re-enter the studio, he nearly walked past her without any further acknowledgement. But...he stopped for a moment, his back still to her, turning just enough that his voice would carry behind him.</b>
</p>
<p>
  <b>“Do you trust me, Calli?”</b>
</p>
<p>
  <b>His voice was gruff and harsh from the vapor and the chill and the frustration of the shoot. And from the anticipation of her answer.</b>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>If she had been surprised by his behavior on the fire escape, resting his head against the glass, allowing her to see his frustration in a rare moment of vulnerability, it was nothing to how she felt now.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>”Do you trust me, Calli?”</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Yes, God yes. With her career, her body, her soul....he could have it all when he said her name like that. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She looked at the profile of his beautiful face, the lines of his lean muscular frame which looked just as delicious from the back as it did from the front. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She stepped up to his side to look him directly in the eyes. “Without question.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p>
<p>
  <b>“Good.”</b>
</p>
<p>
  <b>He moved quickly back into the studio, just in time to see Dominico playing on his phone. Loki sneered, and when the man looked up at him with an idiotically naive smile, Loki couldn’t contain all the rage it made him feel.</b>
</p>
<p>
  <b>“You. Out.”</b>
</p>
<p>
  <b>The simpering simpleton’s smile faltered but didn’t fall completely, as though his feeble mind were still processing those two short words. Impatiently, Loki fisted the pile of his clothing from the chair they were on and threw them at him as he rushed him out the door. Dominico sputtered and tried to argue, but by the time he’d managed to get out a single word, he was standing in the hallway with his arms full of clothing and the door slammed in his face. Loki took a few moments in silence to calm himself. He knew what needed to happen, and it would take focus...fuming with anger wouldn’t help his creative process. Finally, he turned around and met eyes with Callista.</b>
</p>
<p>
  <b>“Get on the bed.”</b>
</p>
<p>
  <b>His words were soft and quiet, contrasting to his tone only seconds before. As he watched her and the scene, he unbuttoned his black Oxford shirt, deciding how to set the equipment as he disrobed from the waist up, standing in nothing but his black slacks hanging off his narrow hips. His attention was so drawn to the set that he hardly noticed how Callista was watching him.</b>
</p>
<p>
  <b>He set his camera on the tripod and placed it at the angle and viewpoint he wanted, then programmed the remote to snap the images when he clicked the button. He tested it a few times, then took a deep breath. He was ready...as ready as he’d ever be. His heart pounded in his chest as he prepared to try something he’d never thought he’d need to do before.</b>
</p>
<p>
  <b>Pulling the ribbon from his hair and allowing his long, dark tresses to cascade over his pale shoulders, he locked eyes with Callista, took a shuddering breath, and joined her on the mattress.</b>
</p>
<p>
  <b>“We’ll take a few shots from here, then I’ll move the camera for the next scene. Cheat toward the lens and...well, just work your magic.”</b>
</p>
<p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Callista was pretty sure that her brain had been shoved out the door along with Dominico. A few cells must have been left functioning because she managed to get on the bed when he told her to. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Watching Loki unbutton his shirt and untie his hair was just about the most erotic thing she had ever witnessed, and considering her line of work, that truly was saying something. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>If she thought Dominico’s face had looked chiseled from marble...good Lord, it was nothing compared to the long, cut muscles of Loki Laufeyson’s pale and unblemished body. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The artist, it seemed, was himself a work of art.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Then he got on the bed with her.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He hovered over her, saying something about the scene and a lens, but her mind wasn’t working properly. Her mouth felt dry and all the air seemed to have left the room.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Oh my god. He’s going to partner with me?!</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>If she had been distracted by her misplaced fantasies earlier in the day, how the fuck was she supposed to concentrate now?</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>But then he said her name, and her eyes locked with his, and that desire to please him, to earn his praise, overwhelmed everything else.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She nodded, closing her eyes for a moment to take a deep breath. Then she shifted, tilting her hip and arching her neck just so, before letting the heat she felt stirring inside her smolder from the depths of her open eyes.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p>
<p>
  <b>Loki was torn between his instinct to indulge in the beauty that was in front of him and the urge to create the stunning photographs he had become known for. As Callista’s eyes burned with the lusty confidence he’d come to rely on in his shoots, he felt a rush of blood focused at his manhood. He got hard, fast, and swallowed as discreetly as possible as he took his position so she could see the camera over his shoulder.</b>
</p>
<p>
  <b>“Very good,” he muttered, snapping the shots with his remote, running his nose along the soft skin over her pulse point and taking in her heady, natural scent. He purposefully kept his hips away from her, half to keep from distracting her while she worked and half because he did not want to reveal what she did to him. He slid his hand up her arm, feeling the goosebumps blossom as he did, and it forced a shuddering breath out of his lungs. His breath still smelled of the menthol vape he’d smoked outside.</b>
</p>
<p>
  <b>She was getting into her zone - arching, positioning, focusing on where the camera was and playing to it. He thought of himself as a prop - </b>
  <b>
    <em>her</em>
  </b>
  <b> prop - and tried to remain situated in such a way that his presence would enhance her image instead of deter from it. He was focusing so hard on that, he barely noticed when she stopped moving.</b>
</p>
<p>
  <b>Leaning up and blinking, bringing himself back to reality, he looked at her questioningly, wondering why...</b>
</p>
<p>
  <b>
    <em>I need to move the camera. She’s noticing I haven’t...I’m too distracted...</em>
  </b>
</p>
<p>
  <b>He cleared his throat, uttered a quiet “sorry,” then stood and put his entire attention on the equipment, desperate to still appear professional despite his faltering. He looked through the shots he’d taken so far on the digital display...they were beautiful. Exactly what he was hoping for. It was working. </b>
</p>
<p>
  <b>“You’re doing very well, Calli. I’ll have the new shot set up in a few moments. Please stay there.”</b>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Chapter 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Loki and Callista's photo shoot gets...intimate.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>It was taking all of Callista’s self control and professional training to do the job she was being paid for instead of rubbing herself against Loki like a cat. He smelled </span>
  <em>
    <span>so</span>
  </em>
  <span> good. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He gave her plenty to work with—the way he touched her, running those long fingers up her arms, practically nuzzling into her neck...she couldn’t help but react, arching her body, biting her lip. She knew these were expected behaviors for the shoot, that they would come across well for the photos, but damn if she didn’t just want to run her hands through his hair, drag her nails down his back, and press her body against his. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She was still sitting on the bed, somewhat shell-shocked by her own fantasies, when he entered the room. He lay the black silk ties on the mattress and asked her to remove her stockings for this part; she did so while trying to hide her slightly trembling hands.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They had done bondage shoots before, just the two of them in the studio. But after Loki set the scene and got her properly situated with the bindings, he always stepped away--the camera between them adding that extra bit of distance to help her remain focused on her work.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But this time he was going to tie her and then...do what? Be in the scene with her clearly, but to what extent?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Her heart thundered as he positioned her in the center of the bed, sitting with her legs slightly bent in front of her. He bound her wrists together carefully with the black silk, bending her over her legs so her chest rested against her thighs and her wrists draped elegantly over her ankles. She rested her head on her knees, and Loki pushed her hair off her shoulders so it cascaded to her side and spilled onto the bed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He kept her like this for a few minutes while he went to the camera, checking the angle before pulling one of the gauzy transparent curtains back from the window, letting the natural light hit her completely unfiltered. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>When he climbed back on the bed with her, she tried to remain focused on the clicking of the camera. She knew Loki was using his body as some kind of backdrop, and she imagined how good his abs would look in the black and white photo. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She sighed, but then gasped as she felt his hands fist in her hair, arching her neck back and forcing her mouth open slightly. It didn’t hurt but it took her by surprise. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He let go, letting his hand slide down her throat, very nearly wrapping around it while the camera clicked away.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She wetted her lips with her tongue, trying to remain focused on the camera and her angles, but then he lifted her, laying her back and pulling her bound wrists above her head to secure them to the headboard.</span>
</p><p><br/>
<br/>
</p><p>
  <b>Loki hoped she couldn’t see him sweating.</b>
</p><p>
  <b>By the time she was secured to the headboard, he wasn’t sure he would be able to make it through the rest of the shoot. His cock was painfully hard, pressing impatiently against his trousers like a prisoner demanding release. Any and all movement seemed to make his situation worse - he yearned to remove the confining clothing and get some relief! But...that’s not why they were here.</b>
</p><p>
  <b>Norns, she was a vision. Pliable and delicate yet resilient and eager. He had to keep telling himself the only reason she looked so good was because this was her job. Callista was a professional in the truest sense of the word, always providing the most exemplary images. No, he had to resist his baser urges, not only out of respect for her, but for the quality of the work. All of this would be for nothing if his patron was unhappy with the result...but the mysterious benefactor had specifically asked for these images - holding her throat, pulling her hair...doing all the things he would do to her if it were just the two of them and no cameras were involved.</b>
</p><p>
  <b>Maintaining his composure, he adjusted the camera once more to focus on the view of his beautiful model tied to the bed, then brought the remote as he approached her.</b>
</p><p>
  <b>“How are you? Comfortable?” He asked in a distracted tone. He tried very hard not to stare at the swell of her breasts peeking over the lace of her black couture bra, or the way her milky thighs rubbed together as he approached. He tried not to make a fool of himself as he positioned his body behind her on the bed, cupped her chin in his hand...and kissed her.</b>
</p><p>
  <b>
    <em>Click. Click click click. Click.</em>
  </b>
</p><p>
  <b>The camera shutter noise almost covered the lusty moan that escaped his throat as Callista’s lips met his, seemingly nervous but excited. Just what was called for in this shoot.</b>
</p><p>
  <b>
    <em>It’s just work. It’s just a job for her. A job she’s VERY good at. Don’t assume. Don’t be the creepy artist that thinks the models are attracted to them because they’re performing. It’s just work. It’s just work...</em>
  </b>
</p><p><br/>
<br/>
</p><p>
  <span>Callista couldn’t help but stare up at Loki after he pulled away from their kiss. How many times in one day could a person feel like a deer in headlights? She forgot about the camera, forgot about the shoot, the only thing running through her brain as they kissed was </span>
  <em>
    <span>“more, more, more!”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>But the click of the camera still echoing in her mind stopped her just in time before she leaned in to actually </span>
  <em>
    <span>get</span>
  </em>
  <span> more.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Clearing her throat, she rolled further onto her side, pulling her shoulders back and down in such a way that she knew her breasts would be pushed up and together, despite her hands being tied above her head. She tossed her hair, bending one knee to slide her leg up, showing off more of her thigh. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She noted a slight pause before the camera started clicking again and was just about to turn to make sure he was happy with what she was doing when she felt his hand on her waist. His long fingers were splayed wide as they moved slowly up over her ribs and gently cupped her breast. She heard the zoom on the camera and the continued clicking of the lens but she was becoming so aroused by his touch, she arched back, hardly in control of her own body anymore. Her hands pulled against the silk ties and her ass pushed back against his hips.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A small gasp escaped her lips as she felt the unmistakable press of his erection, hot and hard as steel against her backside.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She froze. Was she supposed to just go with it? Pretend she didn’t feel it? Or use this to increase the intensity of the shoot? A small part of her brain was trying to tell her to be outraged by this unprofessional behavior, but it would have been more effective if this wasn’t something she had spent the past two days fantasizing about.</span>
</p><p><br/>
<br/>
</p><p>
  <b>Loki held his breath when she froze against him, and gods help him, he couldn’t pull himself away. The feel of her curvaceous, perfect ass against his angry cock stopped every thought in his head for a few seconds, using every bit of willpower he possessed to simply </b>
  <b>
    <em>not </em>
  </b>
  <b>do what his natural instincts insisted upon. For a brief moment, both of them halted, frozen, unsure...</b>
</p><p>
  <b>
    <em>Click.</em>
  </b>
</p><p>
  <b>That was the one. The moment of uncertainty, caught forever in an image, locking that time and place into an irrefutable, physical manifestation of latent desire and slipping control. His hand tightened around her waist, and with warring voices in his mind, he pressed his hips forward, seeking purchase against her body, rubbing himself on her supple skin and using his strength to hold her in place. He closed his eyes and the need to find relief overwhelmed him. His hips rocked. He pressed again, and again, and again, each time making it that much more impossible to stop.</b>
</p><p>
  <b>“</b>
  <b>
    <em>Callista</em>
  </b>
  <b>...”</b>
</p><p>
  <b>Her name dripped from his lips like honey pouring from honeycomb, viscous and real and desperate. There was no denying what was happening now, no way to back out of this and pretend there wasn’t something between them. Loki was mad with lust, and she was irresistible...</b>
</p><p><br/>
<br/>
</p><p>
  <span>Her name was all it took to undo her completely. Abandoning all pretense, she pushed back into his rocking hips, pressing her thighs together to soothe her own desperate need.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She tilted her head back, seeking his lips, and he obliged at once, devouring her mouth with his.  Unsurprisingly, his tongue demanded entrance, dominating hers immediately as he took control of the kiss. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>And although she felt lightheaded with desire, one thought pushed through the fog in her mind. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Untie me,” she panted, pulling away from the kiss. He could tie her up any way he wanted after this, but now, for this first time, she wanted to touch him, run her hands over every inch of him, feel the realness of him, of this moment, assure herself it wasn’t just another fantasy.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>He didn’t hesitate to heed her request, reaching upward and loosening the knots while capturing her with his kiss once more. Within seconds, she was free of the headboard, though her wrists remained bound. Her hands immediately went to his hair, and he pulled her close in a lusty embrace, surrounding her with his arms as she felt his chest and neck.</b>
</p><p>
  <b>He broke their kiss long enough to bite the silken cords trapping her hands together, and with his eyes locked on hers he pulled at the bindings, tugging them loose  and pulling them off of her, holding the strips in his teeth for just a moment.</b>
</p><p>
  <b>She stared at him, seeking his soul, diving right to his core and pulling every bit of control and inhibition right out of him. He instantly went back to kissing her, his tongue dancing with hers.</b>
</p><p><br/>
<br/>
</p><p>
  <span>Moaning into the kiss, Callista again ran her hands through his hair, relishing the feel of the soft waves she had coveted for so long. Her nails massaged along his scalp and then raked down his back, just as she had imagined doing. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>His lean form was all muscle, every inch of him hard and unyielding. Every </span>
  <em>
    <span>generous </span>
  </em>
  <span>inch. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She wrapped her legs around his waist, rocking her hips up to grind herself against his hard length. Even with her underwear and his pants still between them, the friction was amazing.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Her lips moved along his jaw while he continued the unrelenting, delicious torture of his hips rocking into her body. She found the lobe of his ear and took it between her teeth. She bit down, her nails digging deeper into his back as his hips hit a particularly sensitive spot in just the right way.</span>
</p><p><br/>
<br/>
</p><p>
  <b>“Fuck, darling, that’s it. Gods, you feel good...”</b>
</p><p>
  <b>Loki practically snarled as she returned his affection. He held her close, hands roaming over her breasts and tracing across the lines of her body. He wanted her, caught up in the need to be one with her like a stick caught in the current of the great Asgardian waterfalls. He reached behind her and unclasped her bra, discarding the expensive lingerie and diving onto her breasts with his mouth, sucking on her nipples and lavishing her skin with his tongue.</b>
</p><p>
  <b>“You are utterly </b>
  <b>
    <em>delicious</em>
  </b>
  <b>, Callista...” he moaned between mouthfuls of her flesh, his hand dipping below the lace of her panties and seeking out her nub of nerves. Finding his goal, he circled his fingers against her, still latched to her heaving bosom.</b>
</p><p><br/>
<br/>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh!” She cried out, unable to stop herself when those long, elegant hands, hands she had fantasized about so often, reached between them, touching her most sensitive spot.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>His mouth on her breasts felt sinfully good, as he circled her nipple with his tongue in tandem with what his fingers were doing below. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Her toes curled as she stretched her legs out along his. It was too much, longing and passion and lust culminating together inside her all at once. Clinging to him as though her life depended on it, she came with a cry, her back arching off the bed, pushing her breast further into his mouth as the twin points of pleasure from his tongue and his hand pulsed together like electric currents chasing each other in her body.</span>
</p><p><br/>
<br/>
</p><p>
  <b>The feel of her coming drove him wild. He let her ride it out, slowing his pace but maintaining the attention to her pleasure points so she couldn’t quite come down from her peak. She trembled and shuddered in his arms, letting out a high-pitched sigh before again relaxing into the rhythm of their lovemaking.</b>
</p><p>
  <b>He kept his fingers inside her as he undid his pants with his other hand, fumbling with the fly and grunting in frustration before finally freeing himself from his slacks and boxers. Taking himself in hand and fisting his cock while he changed positions, Loki crawled between Callista’s legs, lowering his face to the apex of her thighs and taking in her scent. He rubbed the bridge of his nose firmly against her mons, mouth watering as he finally gave into his rougher desires and ripped her lacy black panties in two before engulfing her pussy with his mouth.</b>
</p><p>
  <b>Eyes closed, he indulged in her center, tasting her sweet essence as his thoughts tried to catch up with reality - Callista was </b>
  <b>
    <em>his</em>
  </b>
  <b>. For now, at least, she was his. And he was determined to make the most of it.</b>
</p><p><br/>
<br/>
</p><p>
  <span>Callista couldn’t stop the wordless cry that escaped her when she felt his tongue on her, inside her, pleasuring her with relentless, almost devotional focus. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh fuck,” she breathed, reaching down to once again run her hands through his hair, unable to stop herself from touching him. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>And oh, how she wanted to touch him, to please him. She only caught a glimpse of his cock before he buried himself between her thighs but it was enough to send her lust into overdrive. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Had she ever wanted any man this much? She didn’t have any time to think about it. Already she felt that blissful tightening sensation low in her belly, the tension in all her muscles that signaled her impending orgasm.</span>
</p><p><br/>
<br/>
</p><p>
  <b>Loki </b>
  <b>
    <em>devoured </em>
  </b>
  <b>her, eyes closed as he simply held her against his face and ate her out like a man starving for the sustenance of her body.</b>
</p><p>
  <b>How long had it been? Decades? Centuries? Of course he’d indulged in carnality with random mortals since he’d taken up residence on Midgard, but he hadn’t done it with any emotion. It had been a means to an end, simple release of need and frustration.</b>
</p><p>
  <b>This was different. </b>
  <b>
    <em>Callista </em>
  </b>
  <b>was different - he knew her, more than anyone since his exile. It was a work relationship...at least, it started that way. Now that he was tongue-deep in her cunt, he considered he may need to re-evaluate that designation.</b>
</p><p>
  <b>Though, truth be told, designations were the furthest thing from his mind at the moment. As he felt her beginning to clench and spasm, he put all his focus, all his energy on her pleasure. His fingers dove inside her and stroked her g-spot while his lips and teeth concentrated on her clit. Within seconds, she came apart.</b>
</p><p>
  <b>Driven by desire, he quickly changed positions as she coasted through her peak, and crawled upward, caged her body with his, and pressed his cock deep into her warm, waiting pussy.</b>
</p><p>
  <b>He lost his breath at the feel of it, this perfect, beautiful mortal crying out and writhing beneath him, milking him with those silken walls, drawing every ounce of pleasure from him. He let out an almost mournful moan as the sensations overwhelmed him, and his hips began pounding into her, faster and harder than he’d permitted himself in as long as he could remember, losing himself in her body.</b>
</p><p>
  <b>He wouldn’t last long, the flames of completion already licking at his resolve, but he wouldn’t let it take him yet.</b>
</p><p>
  <b>
    <em>One more,</em>
  </b>
  <b> he thought, grunting and sweating. </b>
  <b>
    <em>One more for her...</em>
  </b>
</p><p><br/>
<br/>
</p><p>
  <span>The feel of Loki’s cock stretching her as he sheathed himself inside her body was not one Callista would soon forget. She ran her hands up his abdomen and chest, feeling each defined muscle flex as he thrust into her with increasing urgency.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>This was what she wanted, what she’d hoped for—the two of them, joined as one as they chased their passion together. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He seemed to radiate power and dominance from his position above her, fucking her with near violent fever, which sent a thrill fluttering through her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes, Loki!” she cried, digging her heels into his backside to keep him buried deep inside her while she came again, hardly able to believe it was possible so soon.</span>
</p><p><br/>
<br/>
</p><p>
  <b>Loki held her hands above her head as he felt his orgasm overcome him. He gripped her wrists and pushed down into the mattress, groaning and flexing with an abandon he rarely allowed himself. His name on her lips was absolute euphoria, and he called out her name in return as that shock of unbearable pleasure drove itself down his spine.</b>
</p><p>
  <b>His manhood pulsed and shot ropes of hot liquid cum deep inside her, so much that it came dripping out of her before he even finished. Swearing to the Yggdrasil, he gave her one last thrust before his peak began to subside, and his thoughts could return to his mind.</b>
</p><p>
  <b>He realized he might have hurt her, having been lost in his pleasure. He quickly looked down at her face, judging her expression anxiously.</b>
</p><p><br/>
<br/>
</p><p>
  <span>Callista looked up at Loki, into the beautiful green eyes of her fantasy turned reality. She had just had the best sex of her life and was still floating on that high. Her body trembled and tingled with little aftershocks from her multiple orgasms. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Her limbs felt wonderfully loose and the satin sheets beneath her felt soft and cool to her overheated skin.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She tried to relish the moment, but in her heart she knew that this interlude between them might be a one-time thing. How many of his other models did he sleep with? Would they still work together after this? Should they? Callista’s brain was too scrambled to try and reason any of that out. All she knew was that if this afternoon was all they would have, she was going to make the most of it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She gave him one of her best seductress smiles, a smile he had seen many times before through the lens of a camera, and reached up to tuck a strand of dark hair behind his ears. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Let me know when you’re ready for round two, Laufeyson.”</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Chapter 3</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Round two.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <b>A laugh escaped him as he collapsed to the mattress next to her, unceremoniously falling out of her in the process. He laid there panting, trying to catch his breath, one hand open across his abdomen while his other rested behind his head, black hair splayed in all directions.</b>
</p>
<p>
  <b>He was still half in shock that any of this had happened at all and half trying to "play it cool" so as not to clue Callista into how absolutely stunned he was by what had just transpired.</b>
</p>
<p>
  <b>As he laid back, he felt something small and hard against his shoulder blade. Rolling over, he reached under the sheets and pulled out his remote for the camera. He turned his gaze up to the lens and grinned.</b>
</p>
<p>
  <b>"I think we may have been getting a shoot after all."</b>
</p>
<p>
  <b>When she gave him a confused look, he held it up, allowing himself to wiggle his eyebrows before getting off the bed and moving the camera to the third position. Adjusting the lens and focusing on her gorgeous body and that thought-destroying lusty gaze...he finally got it to where he wanted it.</b>
</p>
<p>
  <b>“Round two? Very well then. Arms behind your back, sit on the edge of the bed facing the camera.”</b>
</p>
<p>
  <b>With that, he excused himself for a moment and returned with a soft, black Kinbaku rope, running it through his fingers as he considered how to bind her next.</b>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Callista sat there in surprise. She had expected him to need a little time to recover, as most men did before engaging again. But as she watched him walk out of the room, pulling up his trousers the rest of the way, she saw his cock protruding from the fly of his pants, as hard and tall as it ever was. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She wasn’t about to say no to that.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>But the camera. Fuck. She had completely forgotten about it--hadn’t even heard the shutter clicking in her euphoric distraction. She tried to imagine what might be on that film. She’d done erotic boudoir shoots before but never anything with that level of intimacy...never anything so real. Looking at the camera she felt vulnerable in front of it for the first time in her career.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She scooted to the edge of the bed as he asked, excitement and apprehension raging a battle inside her. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Loki walked back into the room holding black rope, and the sight of his body and the look he was giving her as he fingered the rope in those elegant hands made her want to run across the room and jump him on the spot. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>But now that she had a little distance, a moment to collect her thoughts, her earlier worries seemed more pronounced. Did he do this with all his models? She didn’t want to be a pornstar. She wanted to remain firmly in the artistic, if boundary-pushing, world of modeling she currently occupied. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The word “blackmail” echoed through her mind.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He approached her at the end of the bed, standing between her knees, but before he could start to tie her, she put a hand on his wrist.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Loki,” she said, glancing at the camera and back at him. “I want round two. With you. Right now. I want you to tie me with that rope and fuck me six ways to Sunday. But...” she glanced at the camera and then back to him again, feeling uncharacteristically self-consciousness. “This is a bit more than was in the contract, you know? Is this about the shoot or...”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>About us?</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She couldn’t finish the sentence. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Do you actually want me, or do you just want the shots?</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She looked up at him anxiously hoping she hadn’t just ruined everything.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <b>Loki’s heart skipped a beat when she took his wrist, instantly capturing his attention. He heard her fears, understood them...felt them himself. With a deep breath, he sat on the bed next to her.</b>
</p>
<p>
  <b>“Whatever </b>
  <b>
    <em>this </em>
  </b>
  <b>is...whatever it turns out to be...it was about more than the shoot as soon as I kicked that imbecile blond man out of here.”</b>
</p>
<p>
  <b>He squeezed the rope between his hands tightly, causing the fibers to whine in protest. “I think it’s fair to say </b>
  <b>
    <em>I want you</em>
  </b>
  <b>, Callista. I don’t know what anything means beyond that right now...”</b>
</p>
<p>
  <b>He leaned forward, stroking an errant strand of hair behind her ear, his eyes tracking hers, then flicking down to her lips, then back to her eyes.</b>
</p>
<p>
  <b>“Can we live in that uncertainty? Just for today? Figure this out later once these shots are done and we aren’t desperate for each other’s naked bodies?”</b>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Why did he have to be so beautiful and sexy? Why did his voice need to have that deep, resonant tone? Why did he have to speak with that goddamn accent? </span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>I want you, Callista.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She wanted him too. Unquestionably, and yes, even desperately. But she wanted all of him, including his undivided attention. You didn’t become a boudoir model without a bit of pride.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Here’s the deal,” she said, noticing a slight narrowing of his eyes as she did. “We get the shots first, no matter how desperate we are. We get the shots first and then...I’m yours.” And though she finished the sentence simply, with a nonchalant little shrug, there was a challenge in her eyes as she said it, as though daring him to both resist and indulge in temptation. One in exchange for the other.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <b>He could see her trying to play coy with him, keeping her composure and sounding like she was as confident and assured as she was coming off. But her rapid heartbeat ringing in his ears and the slight perspiration on her skin said otherwise.</b>
</p>
<p>
  <b>And her words...Norns.</b>
</p>
<p>
  <b>
    <em>I’m yours...</em>
  </b>
</p>
<p>
  <b>He would take a thousand photographs if it meant he could have her afterward. He swallowed hard, maintaining what control he could, and he nodded.</b>
</p>
<p>
  <b>“We get the shots first,” he repeated flatly, but the latent need behind his words couldn’t be missed. “Now, arms behind your back. We’ll be doing a suspension.”</b>
</p>
<p>
  <b>She did as he asked, but her eyes never left his. This was already so different from before - normally they would be checking in with each other, making sure the lighting was right and the bindings weren’t too tight. But now...speaking would ruin the moment. He worked quickly and carefully, ensuring the ropes weren’t hurting her but would be secure. He wrapped the cord around her wrists, arms, chest, and shoulders, between her breasts, between her legs, around her hips and thighs. He created intricate designs with the knots - something he had learned to do on Asgard - and focused to make his work worthy of the beauty of his model.</b>
</p>
<p>
  <b>Once she was completely bound, he connected her to the suspension hook built above the bed...and lifted her into the air.</b>
</p>
<p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p>
<p>
  <span>In the past, when Loki needed to use bondage for a shoot, Callista had been able to maintain professional composure throughout the process. If the occasional, unavoidable brush of his fingers against her skin sent little waves of electricity thrumming through her, she had been able to focus on other things and hide any reaction. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She didn’t bother trying to hide anything now.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>As he bound her, she leaned into his touch, biting her lip, keeping her eyes on his as he worked.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>By the time he hoisted her into the air, she was breathing heavily and her chest and neck were flush with color. Despite hanging naked in the air, she felt warm all over.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She angled her head toward the camera, shaking out her hair a bit to make sure it was all hanging loosely to catch the light. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The camera clicked a few times and she shifted, eying Loki instead. Even upside down he was a work of art. She let her eyes rove over him, still naked from the waist up, admiring his smooth skin and the way his pants hung low around his hips. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Pants which were doing nothing to hide the still-hard length of him.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She licked her lips, blatantly eye-fucking him now, imagining what he would taste like if she took him in her mouth.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <b>
    <em>Norns help me...</em>
  </b>
</p>
<p>
  <b>He barely registered the clicking of the shutter as he photographed her, so transfixed on her face and form that it felt like an out-of-body experience. He snapped close-ups of her face, breasts, and legs; made a wide shot to see her framed by the sensual set; even climbed up the bed to get a top-down angle on her. And the whole time his thoughts ran wild with what he wanted to do to her...</b>
</p>
<p>
  <b>He felt satisfied after about twenty minutes of intense focus, and could see Callista's face beginning to flush with the blood rushing to her head.</b>
</p>
<p>
  <b>But her cherry lips puckered just so...and the tip of his cock tingled in response.</b>
</p>
<p>
  <b>"I think we're done..." he mused softly, approaching her and setting the camera off on a side table. He ran his hand along her leg, thrilling at how she trembled beneath his touch. She was so perfect like this - ornate, impressive, helpless, irresistible. He stood in front of her face and began to undo his trousers again, this time letting them slip down to the floor, followed by his boxers. Her eyes never left him.</b>
</p>
<p>
  <b>He walked closer, the deep vermillion head of his manhood brushing her moistened lips, leaving a pearl of precum along their glistening surface as he teased her.</b>
</p>
<p>
  <b>"Now, if you want it..</b>
  <b>
    <em>.take it</em>
  </b>
  <b>..."</b>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Callista didn’t hesitate. She took him all the way in one, forgoing the teasing he probably expected. She arched her back, using the momentum it provided her while suspended on the ropes to take him in as far as she could. Immediately she moaned around his length, sucking so hard her cheeks hollowed out, letting the sound reverberate around him. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She heard him release a sharp hiss of air through his teeth, and pulled back slowly, swirling her tongue until she was only sucking the head of his cock and then repeated the action. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She felt his hands on her hips, sliding over her thighs and she trembled with her own need. She was sure he could see how wet she was already.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Moaning again, she slid her mouth around him before pulling back, this time using the gentle graze of her teeth before circling the tip with her tongue.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <b>Loki pressed into the wet heat of her mouth, the tightness of her throat and the scrape of her teeth across his sensitive flesh disconnecting him from rational thought. The only drive now - the only reason for being - was satisfaction for himself and his lover. He pressed his fingers inside her open pussy and licked her along the insides of her thighs and across her netherlips. He feasted once again, thrusting into her mouth while eating her out in a vertical, suspended 69.</b>
</p>
<p>
  <b>She was </b>
  <b>
    <em>magnificent</em>
  </b>
  <b>, moaning and working her core muscles to take him using nothing but her mouth. He needed to fuck her, make her fall apart so she would know he was what she wanted. He became possessive, thoughts racing through his mind that every inch of her that his tongue licked, that his cock impaled, his hands grabbed was </b>
  <b>
    <em>his</em>
  </b>
  <b>, because she gave it to him.</b>
</p>
<p>
  <b>He had to show her how much he appreciated the opportunity to have her...it was only polite.</b>
</p>
<p>
  <b>With a final, especially deep thrust, Loki pulled out of her mouth and bent down to her face, streaked with dripping makeup, saliva, and tears. Her lips puffed more now as well.</b>
</p>
<p>
  <b>She’d never looked more raw or beautiful.</b>
</p>
<p>
  <b>“Let’s get you down,” he muttered eagerly, manifesting a pair of safety scissors under the bed where she wouldn’t see he had just made them appear, then began to lower her to the mattress slowly, taking care to rest her down gently before beginning to cut away the cords. Snip by snip, he released her, kissing her skin softly every time he severed a section of rope.</b>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Callista lay on the bed with her head spinning and her body thrumming with need. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>After being upside down for so long, then exerting herself so thoroughly in that position while being pleasured masterfully by Loki’s mouth, she was feeling quite lightheaded.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He was untying her now, cutting away the cords of rope carefully. Each little snip sounded as though it was coming from very far away, but the rush of blood back to that part of her body was sending her into a frenzy of pins and needles. Or maybe it was the gentle kisses he was peppering along her skin that caused her skin to tingle. She couldn’t tell.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>By the time the rope around her legs and hips was cut away, her brain was beginning to work properly again. Loki gently rolled her onto her stomach so he could begin cutting the bindings keeping her arms behind her back.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Wait,” she breathed, still panting slightly. “Leave those. I want you to fuck me like this.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <b>"Good gods, woman, you're going to be the death of me..." Loki uttered, a thrill of lust coursing through him like an electric current. He maneuvered her to face him, the position pressing her breasts forward. He grabbed her by the back of the head and pulled her forward into his kiss, forcing her to lean off-balance and rely on his strength to keep herself upright.</b>
</p>
<p>
  <b>He threw the scissors across the studio, and they landed with a metallic </b>
  <b>
    <em>clink </em>
  </b>
  <b>on the other side of the room, then he grabbed the cords that held her arms and spun her around so she faced away from him, throwing her downward so her ass was in the air and her head on the mattress, hands still tied helplessly behind her. He held the ropes near her shoulders and lifted her gently, ensuring her weight and his soon-to-be-animalistic thrusts wouldn't be forcing her neck into an uncomfortable position...then he plunged inside her.</b>
</p>
<p>
  <b>Loki had complete control. He used her like a tool, pumping fast, her ass bouncing against his hips as he pounded against her soft flesh, grunting between slaps, chasing that red hot fire of sex and need and want.</b>
</p>
<p>
  <b>"Fucking HELL, Callista! Tell me when you're coming...I want to feel it..."</b>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Callista was in ecstasy. This, this was exactly what she wanted, what she had fantasized about alone in her apartment on so many nights. He had tied her too often in their work to avoid this “what if” scenario from plaguing her, fueling her infatuation.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>And now it was happening, and he was pounding his cock into her hard and fast, and she was entirely at his mercy, bound as she was. His strength overpowered her and the feel of being dominated by him sent her over the edge.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yes, Loki! Fuck, I’m c—“ but the rest of her sentence was lost in a wordless cry as she came hard, squeezing against the thrust of his cock, body arching uncontrollably, arms pulling against the rope as pleasure overrode every other sensation and thought she had.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <b>She clenched around him, and he almost creamed right then and there. The way her body trembled and spasmed with pleasure had him reeling - she was pure ambrosia, vibrating with sex and pulling him into a vortex of lust from which he could not escape.</b>
</p>
<p>
  <b>Her climax was divine, utterly satisfying in a way he could never express, only to say he would give anything to cause it again and again and again. Before she could fully come down from her peak, he thrust into her, ramping up the intensity once again, forcing another orgasm out of her. And another. And another.</b>
</p>
<p>
  <b>He was insatiable. He wanted to wring every fluid ounce of pleasure from her, wanted her to stay in that bliss for as long as possible. He held firm until he could no longer resist, and then finally released his seed and coated her womb with his essence. It pumped out in long, thick ropes, filling her, and fulfilling him.</b>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The sound of Loki’s orgasm, his grunts and groans of pleasure, floated over Callista like a physical touch. One last layer of bliss that seemed to be melting her into a puddle on the mattress.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She couldn’t move, not for the bindings, but for the sheer and utter exhaustion weighing down every inch of her. Even her eyelids seemed to be pulled by the gravity of the bed beneath her. They fluttered as she tried to catch her breath, her body twitching occasionally as the aftershocks of her multiple orgasms still rippled through her--she had never been so well fucked and sated. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The sun was setting now, the golden light reflecting off the adjacent building streamed through the large windows. Distantly she wondered how the lighting would affect a scene like this, what she might look like if this were a portrait.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Perhaps she did drift off for a few moments because the next thing she knew her ropes had vanished, and Loki was moving beside her, lifting her off the sheets.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Her head rolled limply against his chest. She just wanted to fall asleep like this and not move for a long time. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>And then maybe wake up and do it all again. But for now, she wanted to sleep.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Loki carried her to the back of the studio to the door that she knew led to his private apartment. She had never been up there before. Her curiosity roused her slightly and she realized he was asking her a question. Something about a bath? But she was too tired and her eyes were already drifting shut as her body rocked to the rhythm of his steps. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The quiet little “Mmm,” was all she could manage for a reply.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <b>Loki smiled at her soft, quiet reply to his question. He rested her on his bed, not nearly as extravagant as that on the set, and pushed a bit of hair out of her face. She looked peaceful and satiated - and it made him feel a small flutter in his stomach. He was...</b>
  <b>
    <em>happy</em>
  </b>
  <b>? Is that what this strange, long-forgotten emotion was?</b>
</p>
<p>
  <b>He decided not to look too much into it. Best not to ruin the moment by over-analyzing.</b>
</p>
<p>
  <b>He made his way into the bathroom and turned on the hot water in his jacuzzi tub - one of the few luxuries he afforded himself in his exile - and poured several scented oils in the hot water that should serve to help her recover. He’d never put her through anything quite so vigorous...he knew she was fit and quite able to hold poses and maintain her endurance, but she’d never </b>
  <b>
    <em>passed out</em>
  </b>
  <b> before. He was both concerned and, admittedly, immensely proud of himself for that.</b>
</p>
<p>
  <b>With the bath drawn, he returned to her and lifted her limp body from the bed, carried her to the tub, and set her in the warm water, positioning himself behind her as the jets sent massaging bubbles throughout. He supported her body and just...held her there. She was still dancing on the edge of consciousness, but the bath seemed to be bringing her back around.</b>
</p>
<p>
  <b>“How are you feeling, Calli?” he asked softly, suddenly more vulnerable and nervous than he had been in as long as he could remember.</b>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Mmmmmmm,” Callista purred, stretching out in the warm water, which felt wonderful on her sore body. She let her weight sink back into Loki’s chest, turning her head to feel the muscle of his pectoral under her cheek. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“So good,” she said, still a bit sleepily, then added, “kinda sore.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She turned on her side, wanting to touch him, running a hand along his muscular thigh under the water and up the side of his abdomen. The bubbles from the jets felt like a healing balm, and the ambient sound was just about to lull her back to sleep when she had a sudden thought.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh God, I bet my make-up is a wreck!” She pulled both hands out of the water to cover her face, sure she looked like a half-drowned racoon.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <b>Loki laughed - a relaxed, hearty chuckle - and leaned over to kiss her on her temple while she furiously scrubbed her face.</b>
</p>
<p>
  <b>“I’d call it ‘dystopian angst-couture,’ but you can call it what you like.”</b>
</p>
<p>
  <b>He could physically feel her muscles relaxing against him. It was </b>
  <b>
    <em>euphoric </em>
  </b>
  <b>- almost as good as the fuck. This easy intimacy was so foreign to him...he couldn’t remember the last time he’d </b>
  <b>
    <em>bathed </em>
  </b>
  <b>with someone else. Truth be told...he had no idea what he was doing, and it made him nervous. But so long as she felt good, he was satisfied that he was doing it right.</b>
</p>
<p>
  <b>The water lapped at the sides of the tub as he washed her hair and body (he insisted). He gave her a washcloth to help with her face, then dared to rub her shoulders before the warmth from the water became chill. He moved her off of him gently and retrieved his towel before returning to help her out of the tub, providing her with a towel of her own once she was out. It was well into the evening now, and Loki was wondering when the last time she ate was.</b>
</p>
<p>
  <b>He suddenly felt protective of her, thinking that even hunger was an offensive intruder in their time together.</b>
</p>
<p>
  <b>“It’s getting late...shall we order in? Anything in particular that you’re craving?”</b>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Honestly, I’m starving!” She was squeezing the ends of her hair with the towel, thinking of the hair brush and clothes downstairs in the dressing room.  The temperature of his apartment was much cooler than the studio, and she guessed he kept it warm for the models comfort. “I just want to run downstairs and grab my bag but...do you like sushi?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She was momentarily distracted by an errant bead of water sliding down his abdomen and into the towel hanging around his waist.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <b>“Sure, sushi sounds good...” he answered distractedly, looking around for his phone so he could place the DoorDash order. He had a tendency to set that helpful little device down randomly and not make a mental note of where it was. It occurred to him that it might still be down in the studio, and that she would need him to let her back into the apartment after she got her bag, but when his eyes tracked over to her, he saw her watching his midsection like he was a </b>
  <b>
    <em>snacc. </em>
  </b>
  <b>He grinned.</b>
</p>
<p>
  <b>“Callista...my eyes are up here, darling.”</b>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh, sorry,” she said, huffing a little laugh as she pulled her towel tight around her. “I was just thinking about dessert, I guess.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Smiling innocently, she deliberately brushed against him as she walked by and said over her shoulder, “I like rainbow rolls and edamame.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>And then she headed downstairs to collect her bag.</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Chapter 4</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Sushi, flirting, and...more?</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <b>As soon as Callista was out of the room, Loki exhaled heavily and ran his hands through his hair.</b>
  <b>
    <br/>
  </b>
  <b>
    <br/>
  </b>
  <b>
    <em>So...THIS is now happening…</em>
  </b>
</p>
<p>
  <b>On the one hand, it was obviously a horrible idea to get involved with her. He was a </b>
  <b>
    <em>fugitive</em>
  </b>
  <b>, his life depended on staying under the radar and out of the way. He couldn’t afford to make personal contacts other than for work - it was too risky, too stupid, too...indulgent. He didn’t deserve it.</b>
</p>
<p>
  <b>On the other hand…</b>
</p>
<p><b>Callista wasn’t just </b><b><em>anyone</em></b><b>. In all the time they had worked together, there was just something about her that drew him in and brought out his best. Whether it was in a shoot, or in his mood, just being with her </b><b><em>improved</em></b> <b>things. And after all this time, he was growing weary of the loneliness. A man without a home, without a place - just a sordid history and a camera. And magic...though it’s not like </b><b><em>that </em></b><b>was doing anything for him these days.</b><b><br/></b><b><br/></b><b>The emotions she’d just wrenched from him were...</b><b><em>powerful</em></b><b>. Gods, he’d almost compare it to the sway of Maw - suddenly feeling so protective, possessive, wild, so unlike himself...just like that time when he </b><b><em>wasn’t </em></b><b>in full control of himself.</b></p>
<p>
  <b>
    <em>Oh yes, you’re </em>
  </b>
  <b>certainly</b>
  <b>
    <em> mentally prepared to be in a relationship,</em>
  </b>
  <b> he mused sarcastically to himself, standing and walking to the bedroom to put some clothes on. As he pulled on the soft green cashmere sweater and a pair of well-cut jeans, he watched himself move in the full size mirror off to the side of the room.</b>
  <b>
    <br/>
  </b>
  <b>
    <br/>
  </b>
  <b>
    <em>And what if she finds out who I am? Then what?</em>
  </b>
  <b>
    <em>
      <br/>
    </em>
  </b>
  <b>
    <em>
      <br/>
    </em>
  </b>
  <b>He took a deep breath, searching his own features for the answer. It gnawed at him from the pit of his stomach.</b>
  <b>
    <br/>
  </b>
  <b>
    <br/>
  </b>
  <b>
    <em>Run.</em>
  </b>
  <b>
    <br/>
  </b>
  <b>
    <br/>
  </b>
  <b>With another sigh, he pulled his hair back with a ribbon, then headed toward the studio so he could get his phone.</b>
  <b>
    <br/>
  </b>
  <b>
    <br/>
  </b>
  <b>The sushi wasn’t going to order itself.</b>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Callista quickly dressed in the clothes she had worn to work that day. Her underwear now, consisting of a simple gray bra with pale blue cotton panties, was a far cry from what she had changed into when she arrived. But still, sliding into her leggings and white tank top, with her favorite oversized plum sweater dangling off one shoulder to finish the look, she felt the much-needed /comfort of the familiar after an afternoon that had been anything but ordinary. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She quickly brushed through her damp hair, leaving it to air dry, and checked the mirror again to be absolutely certain there was no remaining mascara where it shouldn’t be. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Her skin was still flushed with color, from the sex or the hot bath, she couldn’t be sure. This whole thing was turning into more than she’d bargained for. More, and yet she wanted </span>
  <em>
    <span>more </span>
  </em>
  <span>than that. More and more and more--she stopped herself right there. She couldn’t make assumptions about what Loki wanted, couldn’t get her hopes up that this was…</span>
  <em>
    <span>more</span>
  </em>
  <span>. More than great sex, more than a hook up, more than what he did with every other model...</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>And if that turned out to be all it was in the end?</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Then she would enjoy every damn second of it.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Leaving her boots, socks, and scarf in her bag, she carried her coat over her arm as she left the dressing room for the main studio. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>*</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Back upstairs in Loki’s apartment, Callista found herself on the couch with their food spread on the coffee table—only she had never seen so much food ordered for two people. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The two measly rolls she had in her lap seemed pathetic compared to the mountain of sushi Loki was working his way through. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She was so used to spending time with either models or her “friends” who wanted to be models, that she’d forgotten what it was like to see someone eat with real gusto and appetite. Except for her bestie, Lane. That girl could eat and Callista loved her for it. Though, now that she considered it, this still seemed like a ridiculous amount of food even for that. Loki must have an incredible workout routine. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Okay, that’s it. I’ve gotta know your secret.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <b>Loki almost choked on his tempura when she said that, but through sheer force of will, was able to keep from overreacting. </b>
  <b>
    <br/>
  </b>
  <b>
    <br/>
  </b>
  <b>He grabbed his glass of sake and took several sips while trying to calm himself. It had seriously come out of </b>
  <b>
    <em>nowhere</em>
  </b>
  <b>, and he wasn’t prepared, especially since he’d been thinking about </b>
  <b>
    <em>his secret </em>
  </b>
  <b>right before she’d returned. Had he said something inadvertently?</b>
</p>
<p>
  <b>Best to try and play it off.</b>
  <b>
    <br/>
  </b>
  <b>
    <br/>
  </b>
  <b>“My secret? To what? My good looks? My photography? My...stamina?”</b>
  <b>
    <br/>
  </b>
  <b>
    <br/>
  </b>
  <b>He purposefully moved his leg against her as he spoke, hoping the flirting would keep her distracted...but also </b>
  <b>
    <em>really</em>
  </b>
  <b> enjoying flirting with her.</b>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Ha! If you’ve got a secret for that, I’d love to know.” She wiggled an eyebrow at him, pushing back against his leg with her knee. “But that’s not what I meant. I was referring to how you can eat all of this,” she gestured to the feast with her chopsticks, “and look like that.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She gestured again, letting her eyes linger just a bit as she looked him up and down before smirking at him.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <b>“Oh, I just have an unusually high metabolism,” he smirked, picking up one of the hefty slices - salmon and yellowtail and deep fried shrimp with avocado and lemon and tempura and two different kinds of sauce - then shoving it into his mouth before she could ask anything more about how his physique maintained inhuman standards.</b>
</p>
<p>
  <b>As he chewed, he contemplated what he was getting himself into. It felt SO GOOD to be around her, to flirt with her, to see her smile and laugh. Better than he’d felt in a very long time, and he was loath to sacrifice that. For what? Security? Risk? Safety?</b>
  <b>
    <br/>
  </b>
  <b>
    <br/>
  </b>
  <b>How </b>
  <b>
    <em>exposed</em>
  </b>
  <b> would he be, really, if he spent more time with her? If they became “an item”? It might be fun to have a relationship...he imagined them going to galleries, hand in hand, the most </b>
  <b>
    <em>exquisite</em>
  </b>
  <b> couple in the room; he couldn’t help but grin at that. But there was so much more than just appearances that he had to worry about.</b>
  <b>
    <br/>
  </b>
  <b>
    <br/>
  </b>
  <b>And he had a hunch she was wondering the same.</b>
  <b>
    <br/>
  </b>
  <b>
    <br/>
  </b>
  <b>“Calli,” he said after swallowing the large bite of food. “About earlier...we should talk. About that.”</b>
  <b>
    <br/>
  </b>
  <b>
    <br/>
  </b>
  <b>Internally, he slapped himself for stumbling over his words. </b>
  <b>
    <em>Have some confidence</em>
  </b>
  <b>, he scolded. </b>
  <b>
    <em>Make her feel comfortable.</em>
  </b>
</p>
<p>
  <b>“I...enjoyed that. Very much,” he said softly, meeting her gaze. “And I hope you did, too.”</b>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Callista’s heart thundered.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I did.” Her voice came out lower and huskier than she’d intended, and she quickly cleared her throat, marshalling her features before she could give anything more away. “I think it’s safe to say I enjoyed it. Multiple times. Too many to count, really.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She winked at him, laying a hand on his knee. “All thanks to your...stamina. And you can’t credit metabolism for that. So what is it? Magic?” Laughing, she gave his knee a small squeeze before taking a sip of the wine Loki had poured for her.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Don’t get your hopes up.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>With great effort, Callista resisted the urge to say anything else about their...relationship, shying away from that word even in her own mind. To ask about what this meant to him, if he wanted </span>
  <em>
    <span>more</span>
  </em>
  <span> just as she did, could easily ruin everything.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <b>“Well, glad to know I could leave you…</b>
  <b>
    <em>satisfied</em>
  </b>
  <b>,” he purred, turning back to his food and poking at it with his chopstick, pretending this was a completely normal conversation.</b>
  <b>
    <br/>
  </b>
  <b>
    <br/>
  </b>
  <b>
    <em>Fuck</em>
  </b>
  <b>, why was this so difficult? He was a bundle of nerves, and his hands actually </b>
  <b>
    <em>shook </em>
  </b>
  <b>as he picked up the next piece, feeling it balance precariously between the two slender utensils.</b>
  <b>
    <br/>
  </b>
  <b>
    <br/>
  </b>
  <b>“I have to say, I was impressed with you as well. You’ve got quite a bit of stamina yourself, miss </b>
  <b>
    <em>round two</em>
  </b>
  <b>. Perhaps we might...try that again...sometime.”</b>
  <b>
    <br/>
  </b>
  <b>
    <br/>
  </b>
  <b>Again, he stuffed his face so as not to have to hide a mischievous smile or say anything further before she responded.</b>
  <b>
    <br/>
  </b>
  <b>
    <br/>
  </b>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Callista had to suppress both her desire to shriek with joy and laugh at Loki’s uncharacteristic stumbling as he tried to feel her out.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Perhaps there was hope after all.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Dangerous</span>
  </em>
  <span>, her mind warned, knowing how easily she could fall...how badly it could hurt.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>But it was a start.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh, well, I just have an unusually disciplined exercise regiment,” she said, echoing his earlier phrase. “ Lots of cardio. And as for trying again </span>
  <em>
    <span>sometime</span>
  </em>
  <span>, I’d be happy to give further demonstration of my stamina after dinner.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She looked at him innocently, willing her lips not to twitch as she fought a smile. “This is great sushi, by the way. You’ll have to tell me where you ordered from.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <b>“Hatsuhana Sushi, over near St. Patrick’s Cathedral,” he muttered, his thoughts spinning.</b>
  <b>
    <br/>
  </b>
  <b>
    <br/>
  </b>
  <b>
    <em>After dinner?!</em>
  </b>
  <b>
    <br/>
  </b>
  <b>
    <br/>
  </b>
  <b>His pulse quickened noticeably, and he took another rapid bite, suddenly much more eager for the end of the meal. He </b>
  <b>
    <em>wanted </em>
  </b>
  <b>her, by all the gods, more than anything. She felt </b>
  <b>
    <em>incredible</em>
  </b>
  <b>, and to have another taste of that, he’d do whatever she asked.</b>
  <b></b>
    <br/>
  
  <b>
    <br/>
  </b>
  <b>Between bites, he tried to ease the nearly palpable sexual tension between them, but he caught her just...staring at him. Sushi in hand, frozen, transfixed. He cleared his throat.</b>
</p>
<p>
  <b>“Ah...Callista?”</b>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Realizing she was staring at him, watching the way his muscles bunched under his shirt sleeves as he moved, she quickly looked around for something else to say. His apartment favored a tasteful yet cozy style, with simple, elegant furnishings throughout. The standout feature, without question, were the books. Two large shelves outlined the entertainment center and even more volumes were stacked on the various surfaces throughout the room.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She scooted a bit closer to him on the couch, letting her knees brush up against his. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Sorry, uh, so I guess you like to read?”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <b>“I do. One of my favorite pastimes,” he said with as much steadiness in his voice as he could manage. “What are your favorite books? Maybe I’ve read a few of them.”</b>
</p>
<p>
  <b>Norns, her flirting completely mollified him. He wanted to be the confident, self-assured man he pretended to be in public. That persona was his shield, it kept him safe and away from those who were looking to harm him. That, and the glamour that kept anyone from recognizing him </b>
  <b>
    <em>as </em>
  </b>
  <b>Loki.</b>
</p>
<p>
  <b>But she was past that now, wasn’t she? They’d shared each other's bodies, they’d </b>
  <b>
    <em>fucked</em>
  </b>
  <b>; and rather nicely, at that. She was eating sushi in his apartment.</b>
</p>
<p>
  <b>Callista was becoming close, he couldn’t deny it. And the idea terrified him. She was past his defenses. She could hurt him.</b>
</p>
<p>
  <b>He needed a drink.</b>
</p>
<p>
  <b>He took another healthy swig of sake as she answered.</b>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Actually, I used to really love to read when I was younger. I spent most of my time growing up with my nose in a book. But I haven’t really had time to read since...college? At least nothing serious since then.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She took a sip of wine, watching as he maneuvered his chopsticks with those graceful hands of his. It was becoming clear she had a thing for his hands...the long fingers. The deft way he seemed to handle everything he touched. Just looking at them made her feel warm all over. Certain places in particular. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She set her glass down next to her empty tray of sushi. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I guess the only thing I’ve really read lately book-wise would be...</span>
  <em>
    <span>erotica</span>
  </em>
  <span>.” She took the chopsticks from his hand and set them on the table, running a hand over the buttons of his shirt. “Do you ever read that?”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <b>Loki chugged the rest of the sake in his glass and left the empty vessel on the table, turning toward her.</b>
</p>
<p>
  <b>“On occasion,” he replied, his hands floating up to her arms. She felt warm...he slid his hands along the soft fabric of her sweater, and instantly that familiar rush of blood flowed downward.</b>
</p>
<p>
  <b>He met her eyes. She met his with the raise of her eyebrow, those grey orbs plunging into his soul. Chills ran down his spine just from the look she gave him...and he caved.</b>
</p>
<p>
  <b>“Fucking </b>
  <b>
    <em>hell</em>
  </b>
  <b>, Callista.”</b>
</p>
<p>
  <b>His lips were on hers in milliseconds, his hands in her hair, his body resting between her legs, pressing against her center with urgent need. He growled and bit her lower lip, pulling it gently before resuming his lusty assault.</b>
</p>
<p>
  <b>“Don’t hold back,” he purred into her ear before licking the shell of it, then drawing it into his mouth and releasing it slowly. “Show me what you can do.”</b>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Callista trembled against him, excited and a little surprised by how quickly she was able to set them up for the next round with her flirty comment about the books. But she wasn’t about to question it. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She mirrored his action, kissing him and then bringing her mouth to his ear, tugging the lobe gently with her teeth before sucking it softly with her tongue. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Bedroom. Now.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Loki wasted no time scooping her up and carrying her into the next room, kissing her all the while. She was amazed he didn’t trip or walk into anything, and this display of easy grace only ramped up her lust for him. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He set her down on the bed and she promptly pulled him down with her by the collar of his shirt, rolling until she was straddling his hips. She grinned down at him, cocking an eyebrow before tugging his sweater over his head and tossing it to the side so she could run her hands along his chest and abs. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Everything had been so rushed before, so desperate, and while she felt no diminishing in her desire now, this time she wanted to savor.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She bent down to kiss him again, quickly moving to his jaw then his throat, then down his chest. Kissing and licking, tasting and tracing every chiseled muscled all the way down to his navel. Her hands never left his skin, just as hungry for him as her mouth was.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <b>Loki was ablaze in sensation, gasping as Callista deftly handled him with passionate kisses and nimble hands. She </b>
  <b>
    <em>astonished </em>
  </b>
  <b>him - perhaps it was because it had been so long since he’d been slow and intimate with someone, or perhaps it was because she was so eager and skilled, but he was lightheaded and breathless within seconds of her taking control.</b>
</p>
<p>
  <b>“Gods, Callista,” he moaned, his voice straining as she worked him over. “Fuck, you feel amazing.”</b>
</p>
<p>
  <b>When she climbed back up him, he put his hands on her ass, one on each cheek, and pulled her closer, urging her on.</b>
</p>
<p>
  <b>He grabbed her and pressed her center against his cock, arching backward and indulging in the pleasure he drew from her body. But </b>
  <b>
    <em>she </em>
  </b>
  <b>set the pace, </b>
  <b>
    <em>she </em>
  </b>
  <b>decided what happened this time. He took a breath and tried to relax into her touch.</b>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>When Loki ground himself against her, she nearly lost control of herself. That delicious friction between her legs, even through their clothes, practically sent her right over the edge. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She sat up, quickly discarding her sweater, tank top, and bra. She cupped her breasts, taking a moment to ride the ridge of his cock, shivering with pleasure, before removing her own leggings and panties. Then she straddled him again, reaching down with one hand to unzip his pants. With her other hand, she grabbed one of his, kissing the pad of each finger and then his palm reverently, before sucking his index finger into her mouth and swirling her tongue around it, her eyes locked on his.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <b>Loki groaned, his body seeming to move of its own accord, instinctively responding to her touch. He could only lay there and let her play - interrupting her flow right now was the </b>
  <b>
    <em>last </em>
  </b>
  <b>thing he wanted to do. It absolutely shocked him how quickly things were moving with her - three times in the last six hours? Or was it four? Five? Not to mention easy conversation, sharing a meal, bathing together...</b>
</p>
<p>
  <b>Those thoughts were forced from his mind as his focus was drawn to her mouth on his fingers, her eyes locked on his, her hand pulling his cock out through the fly of his slacks. His own hands slid along her body, encouraging her with everything but words, wanting Callista to have free reign of him.</b>
</p>
<p>
  <b>“Calli...don’t stop...” he moaned, rolling his hips upward. “Fuck, don’t tease me...I can’t take it...”</b>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>”</span>
  <em>
    <span>Calli</span>
  </em>
  <span>” ... when he said her name like that, she belonged to him, body and soul. And she wanted this, wanted him so much. To enjoy herself, yes, but to please him too, just as she always had.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She slid back, lowering her mouth to his straining member, and licked the length of him with the flat of her tongue a few times before pumping him with her hands. She hadn’t been able to touch him last time, bound as she was, so now she took full advantage. Sitting back up, she pulled his pants off completely, running her hands up over his thighs and hip bones then back to that magnificent cock. No wonder she was still sore.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Taking him in her mouth again, she licked him slowly, using one hand to work the rest of him while the other gently cupped his sac, massaging in time to the glide of her mouth, determined to please him, craving his praise.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She felt his hand in her hair and hummed with pleasure at his touch. The little gasps and groans escaping him made her feel incandescent and wildly aroused. She needed him inside her. Now.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Lifting herself over him, she guided his cock between the wet folds of her sex, relishing the way his size stretched and filled her. She moaned at the sensation of having him inside her again, her eyes fluttering slightly as she looked down at him.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Touch me.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <b>Loki’s hands went to her breasts, swaying heavily above him. His half-closed eyes and drawn lips belied just how overwhelmed he was by her. The heat of her sex radiated through him, straining his muscles and his will.</b>
</p>
<p>
  <b>“Calli...I’m close...” he barely whispered, swimming in pleasure but resisting the release. He could wait...he could wait until she was ready for him.</b>
</p>
<p>
  <b>But he couldn’t wait for long...</b>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Callista rocked herself atop Loki, arching her back to push her breasts more firmly into his hands.  She sped up, getting closer to her climax, and pulled at his biceps, reaching for his shoulders, wordlessly asking for him to meet her where she was. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Loki pushed himself to a sitting position, arms snaking tightly around her as she sought out his mouth with hers. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The kiss didn’t last long. Seconds later she came, head thrown back as she moaned in ecstasy, vaguely aware of Loki’s lips at her throat.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <b>The moment he felt her walls fluttering, he let loose. Waves of pleasure and relief flowed through him, tingling throughout his body and concentrating where they joined. He spilled into her sex, cock throbbing and sac contracting as the natural conclusion of their activities sent him into a nearly comatose state. He shuddered and groaned, eyes closed, feeling consciousness slipping away from him.</b>
</p>
<p>
  <b>
    <em>Stay awake! Stay awake stay awake stay—</em>
  </b>
</p>
<p>
  <b>It was no use - the exertion, the pleasure, Callista’s warmth...it conquered him. With a last shuddering gasp, he passed out.</b>
</p>
<p>
  <b>——</b>
</p>
<p>
  <b>- Several hours later -</b>
</p>
<p>
  <b>Loki was stirred awake by movement on his bed. It was dark in his apartment now, the wee hours of the morning blanketing the bustling city in an eerie calm that penetrated the walls of his home. He blinked his eyes open, adjusting to the dim light, only to see Callista sitting up on the edge of his bed, naked back to him, looking out the window unmoving.</b>
</p>
<p>
  <b>Remaining still, he waited to see what she would do...he’d never had someone stay over since he’d come to Midgard, and yet again, he was at a loss for how to react.</b>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Callista sat there in the quiet dark of Loki’s room, bracing herself for what she needed to do. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>They had collapsed together on the bed hours before, exhausted and sated, and she had slept in his arms, most of her body sprawled across his chest. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It was wonderful. The two of them moved in tandem while they slept, their slight adjustments stirring her enough to be aware of how he held her tightly, the way they seemed to nuzzle into each other. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>But it was over now. Staying for sushi was one thing. Expecting to stay for eggs and coffee was something else entirely. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She took a deep breath, noting how the room smelled of him, of them, and then grabbed her bag and went into the bathroom. She cleaned herself up a bit and called an Uber on her phone. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Her clothes were still strewn about his bedroom so she went to collect them, dressing as quietly as she could, keeping an eye on his still form in the bed for any sign of his stirring. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Checking her phone, she saw her Uber was almost there, but she hesitated at the bedside for a moment longer. Would he call her again? Would he want to work with her again? Her heart ached at the thought that he might not want to.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>As gently as she could, she brushed a dark lock of hair off his face and leaned down to give him a soft kiss on his temple. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She left the apartment, waiting until she was down in the studio to put on her boots. It was freezing outside this early in the day, and she was shifting from foot to foot waiting for her car on the sidewalk. On a sudden thought, she whipped out her phone and quickly Venmo’d Loki some money for the sushi. She didn’t want to make any assumptions. And now there were no loose ends. She could close that door and just be glad she had the experience. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>When her car pulled up, she got in quickly, grateful that the driver was blasting the heat. They drove away into the bustle of the slowly waking city, and Callista did not look back.</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Chapter 5</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>A phone call is made. Questionable advice is given.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <b>— Three days later —</b>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <b>Loki clicked on the mouse again. And again. And again.</b>
</p>
<p>
  <b>He was zoomed into the black-and-white image, touching up some shading that needed to be more precise and blurring the edges of the parts he wanted to soften. He had been working on this single photograph for over two hours, keeping it zoomed in so he couldn’t see the full image at once.</b>
</p>
<p>
  <b>It was the picture he had been both dreading and eagerly awaiting. The shot right before they...</b>
</p>
<p>
  <b>He didn’t have a word for it. Fucked? Too harsh. Made love? Too soft. Became intimate? Sounded...gross. But whatever they decided to label it, it was a turning point. And he had the photo to prove it.</b>
</p>
<p>
  <b>He wanted to leave it alone, but every time he was about to walk away, he was drawn back...he spent long periods of time staring at her lips, her skin, her unusual and intriguing grey eyes...</b>
</p>
<p>
  <b>That early morning, when Callista left silently, he had wondered and worried if something had gone wrong. Was this the normal way Midgardians “courted”? He knew it was called “dating” here, but he couldn’t bring himself to refer to the activity as such. It sounded juvenile and pedantic - no where near the emotion he now felt while trying to decide how to move forward with her.</b>
</p>
<p><b>And apparently, according to Buzzfeed, the fact that she had Venmo’d him for her portion of the sushi and then left while he was “asleep” was a </b> <b> <em>bad </em> </b> <b>sign.</b></p>
<p>
  <b>He wanted to call her. He was terrified. He was desperate. He was confused.</b>
</p>
<p>
  <b> <em>Come on, get it together!</em> </b>
</p>
<p>
  <b>Frustrated with himself, he grabbed his phone and flicked through the contacts to Callista’s number...then froze, thumb hovering over the dial button.</b>
</p>
<p>
  <b>Heart pounding, he pressed it.</b>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>For three days, Callista Dupont did not think about Loki Laufeyson.</p>
<p>The first day was spent mostly at the gym and then back in her apartment checking emails from her agent and confirming bookings and contracts. She went to a bar with a fellow model-friend that night and competed to see who could get the most phone numbers. They tied, but Callista had to admit, for some reason her heart wasn’t in it and she hadn’t given the matter her best effort.</p>
<p>She did not think about him.</p>
<p>The second day she was busy with yoga, coffee with the girls, and a pedicure (because even in January in NYC, a boudoir model needed impeccable grooming from head to toe at all times), followed by a quiet night in, watching Netflix and heating up a frozen Lean Cuisine for dinner.</p>
<p>She did not think about him.</p>
<p>The third day she got up early for her magazine shoot. The publication was a <em> Vogue </em> wannabe called <em> Hush </em> that wanted an artsy, lingerie style spread that was meant to be a prelude to Paris Fashion Week that upcoming spring. The photographer she would be working with was herself a Paris native, and went exclusively by the name “Lux.” But she had a good reputation and was becoming a fast favorite in the high fashion world over in Europe, so Callista was excited to work with her.</p>
<p>She sat in a chair surrounded by bright lights as a team put the finishing touches on her hair and make-up before she was sent to wardrobe.</p>
<p>She did not think about him.</p>
<p>No, for three days Callista had managed, by sheer force of will, to not think about Loki Laufeyson, not wonder what he was doing or if he was thinking of her or if he would call. She did not let herself think about the photos he would be editing or if he might call her again in the future for another booking and what that might be like. For three days, she was firmly disciplined.</p>
<p>The two <em> nights </em> prior, however, had been a different matter entirely. Alone in her dark bedroom, the silence itself seemed to take on a physical presence, pressing on her as though it would push the air out of her body, until she could hear her own heart pounding in her ears. She lay awake for hours, torturing herself with the memory of his touch, his taste, the sounds of his pleasure until it was more than she could bear. Until, inevitably, she touched herself, imagining it was him, breathing his name into the silent dark when she came. Only then, finally, could she sleep.</p>
<p>There had been no relationship to mourn, but Callista thought perhaps she needed some sort of rebound situation to get over this. Like a palette cleanser. Yes, perhaps that would cure her of this fixation, a fixation which surely would amount to nothing other than heartache and disappointment. Maybe she would call one of those guys from the other night…</p>
<p>Her phone rang.</p>
<p>Callista stared down into her lap at the device, her mind not quite taking in the name of the contact that appeared on the screen.</p>
<p>“Do you need to get that, hon?” Her stylist gestured to her phone with his make-up brush. “We’re basically done. You can step outside if you need to take it.” He gave her a funny little smile, as if to say “It’s about a boy, I get it,” before gently ushering her out into the hallway.</p>
<p>Even though her stomach was suddenly in knots, Callista lifted the phone to her ear.</p>
<p>“Hello?”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <b>Utter, devastating silence.</b>
</p>
<p>
  <b> <em>What are you doing?! YOU called HER! You can’t just sit here and say nothing!</em> </b>
</p>
<p>
  <b>“Uhm...hello Callista. How have you been?”</b>
</p>
<p>
  <b> <em>THAT’S the best you could come up with? You’re hopeless…</em> </b>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Callista balked a bit at his question, eyebrows shooting up as she stared at the blank wall across from her in the empty hallway. </p>
<p>
  <em> Really? We fuck like our lives depend on it and then I don’t hear from you, don’t expect to hear from you, and then you call to ask how I’ve been? </em>
</p>
<p>“I’ve been fine. Pretty busy. Just got out of hair and makeup for a shoot, actually.”</p>
<p>There was a short beat of silence and she added “Um, how’ve you been?”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <b>Loki squeezed his eyes shut, rubbing the furrow between his eyebrows as his stomach continued to churn in knots.</b>
</p>
<p>
  <b>“That’s great! Glad to hear you’re keeping yourself occupied.”</b>
</p>
<p>
  <b>Another beat of torturous silence followed.</b>
</p>
<p>
  <b> <em>FUCK! Fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO SAY NEXT?!</em> </b>
</p>
<p>
  <b>“I’ve been doing well. Editing the photos from our shoot a few days ago...”</b>
</p>
<p>
  <b>He let it hang in the air, testing to see how she would respond, to get a bead on how she was feeling about it…</b>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Oh right.”</p>
<p>She was such an idiot. Such a <em> fucking </em> idiot for thinking, even for a second, that he would be calling for anything other than work. </p>
<p>“We were pretty distracted during the session,” she huffed a small laugh, leaning her head on the wall and feeling like she might actually cry, which wouldn’t do at all since she just had her makeup done.</p>
<p>“I guess you’re calling because they didn’t come out the way the client wanted. You need reshoots?”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <b>“No...the shots were beautiful...”</b>
</p>
<p>
  <b> <em>YOU were beautiful. WE were beautiful.</em> </b>
</p>
<p>
  <b>“I’m not...I mean...this isn’t a work call...”</b>
</p>
<p>
  <b> <em>GROW A PAIR AND SAY WHAT YOU MEAN!</em> </b>
</p>
<p>
  <b>Loki grunted with frustration, steeled himself, then breathed.</b>
</p>
<p>
  <b>“Would you...like to get dinner sometime? With me, I mean. I’m sure you’re perfectly capable of getting dinner on your own, of course...”</b>
</p>
<p>
  <b>Nervous laughter, followed by nervous silence.</b>
</p>
<p>
  <b> <em>Oh, smooth one, Silvertongue…</em> </b>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Callista’s brain scrambled at the unexpected change of direction. Her stomach, which seconds ago seemed to be comprised entirely of knots, and leaden ones at that, was now full of butterflies.</p>
<p>“Get dinner? With you? You mean...you mean like a date?”</p>
<p> </p>
<p><b>“It’s not a </b> <b> <em>date</em> </b> <b>,” Loki said quickly. All the research he’d done on Midgardian courting - primarily Buzzfeed and Reddit - told him that “calling it a date” was the death-knell for every blossoming relationship. “It’s just a dinner. With me. And you. Just us. But I don’t date - I mean, I haven’t dated...or, I wouldn’t date...”</b></p>
<p>
  <b>He heard her giggle at his fumbling words, and he gave up. Sighing, he leaned his head back and closed his eyes.</b>
</p>
<p>
  <b>“Sorry...this was a bad idea. I’ll let you go...”</b>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Hold up, Laufeyson.” Callista smirked to herself, confidence spreading like wildfire from her heart through the rest of her body, warming her all the way to the tips of her perfectly manicured toes. </p>
<p>“I could go for a date, or dinner, or whatever you want to call it. It just depends,” she lowered her voice, the question coming out like a purr, “...what’s on the menu?”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <b> <em>You. You’re on the menu and I am going to DEVOUR you...</em> </b>
</p>
<p>
  <b>“Indian food?”</b>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Delicious. And the venue for this dinner-not-date?”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <b>“How does Bengal Tiger on 56th Street sound?”</b>
</p>
<p><b>She was teasing him - she was </b> <b> <em>joking</em> </b> <b> with him. And suddenly all his nerves seemed to calm.</b></p>
<p>
  <b>“And afterward...if you want to come back to my place...we could do some re-shoots. Just...purely for professional reasons.”</b>
</p>
<p>
  <b> <em>And not for my own personal collection…</em> </b>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“<em> Purely </em> professional?” She tsked at him.</p>
<p>“I’m afraid after a <em> spicy </em> dinner Bengal Tiger, I might find myself a bit too <em> tied up </em> to concentrate on any extra shoots you might want to take. We could, however, simply have <em> dessert </em> back at your place? I’m sure I’ll be able to bring something delicious for you.”</p>
<p>She was laying the innuendo on a little thick, she knew, but flirting with him like this was too fun. And after the tension of the past three days, it felt quite cathartic to vent some of her pent up feelings on him. </p>
<p>
  <em> Let him be the one laying awake at night, wanting. Ha! </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <b>Loki couldn’t take it. He closed his eyes and bit his fist, excited and nervous and so happy he was on the verge of laughter. It took several seconds for him to calm down before he could speak again.</b>
</p>
<p>
  <b>“Yea, sure. Sounds good.  So...tomorrow night? 7pm? We can meet there - I don’t have a vehicle. But who does in this city, right?”</b>
</p>
<p><b>He took a shaky breath </b> <b> <em>away</em> </b> <b> from the speaker on the phone, then returned.</b></p>
<p><b>“And I’m sure whatever </b> <b> <em>dessert</em> </b> <b> you bring will be utterly scrumptious.”</b></p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Oh, I can’t tomorrow,” Callista lied. “Would Saturday work?” </p>
<p>He made her wait three days, so the least she could do was make him wait an extra day. It was also best practice to not seem <em> too </em> available, even if all she wanted to do was head right to his apartment after this shoot and tear his clothes off.</p>
<p> </p>
<p><b>“Yes, of course,” he smiled into the phone. He </b> <b> <em>knew</em> </b> <b> it was a lie - part of his godly powers that he rarely used these days - but he didn’t mind it. She was playing with him, and he was intent on playing along. “Saturday is fine. I should be done with the edits by then - we can look over the shoots together after our </b> <b> <em>not-date</em> </b> <b>.”</b></p>
<p><b>He chuckled, more excited and anxious than he’d been in as long as he could remember. He was </b> <b> <em>very much</em> </b> <b> looking forward to Saturday evening.</b></p>
<p>
  <b>“Well, considered it ‘pencilled in’, as they say. Bring your appetite - their garlic paranthas and lamb vindaloo are to die for.”</b>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“I look forward to it. See you at seven o’clock, Loki.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p><b>“See you Saturday, </b> <b> <em>Calli.</em> </b> <b>”</b></p>
<p> </p>
<p>Callista ended the call and very nearly collapsed to the floor in a puddle of bliss. </p>
<p>
  <em> “Calli.” </em>
</p>
<p>God, the sound of her name coming from him like that, in that low baritone growl he sometimes did, made her literally weak in the knees (not to mention what it did to other parts of her body). And here she was convincing herself their little “interlude” had been a one time thing, that she might never hear him call her that again. </p>
<p>Smiling to herself, she headed back into hair and make up where they immediately directed her into wardrobe to get changed. As the stylists helped her dress, her mind was only half on the task. She and Loki were going out for a “not-date” dinner. She suppressed a laugh thinking about his fumbling. “Mr. Cool, Professional, Call me Sir,” who usually had her panties combusting as she walked through the door, had been <em> nervous </em> to ask her out. If that wasn’t a boost for the ego, she didn’t know what was.</p>
<p>Still high on the adrenaline from their phone call, Callista walked onto the set and proceeded to deliver one of the best shoots of her career.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <b>As soon as the call ended, Loki breathed a sigh of relief. He leaned his head back against the wall and smiled, laughing to himself.</b>
</p>
<p>
  <b> <em>Well...THAT was an experience...</em> </b>
</p>
<p><b>He hadn’t felt so </b> <b> <em>alive</em> </b> <b> in quite some time - the thrill, the nerves, the banter. He was enthralled by this new side of Callista he was finally getting to see. She was always the consummate professional when it came to her work, but now...now he was seeing who she was behind that couture facade. And it seemed like she was much more interesting and feisty than he’d expected.</b></p>
<p>
  <b>He took a few minutes to sit against the wall, letting his thoughts spin on Callista, before he returned to his computer to finish the editing he needed to do. And now, instead of feeling anxious while he worked on the photos...</b>
</p>
<p><b>He felt </b> <b> <em>happy.</em> </b></p>
<p> </p>
<p>~~~</p>
<p>When the session for <em> Hush </em> wrapped, the two other models from the shoot, Francesca and Adelle, asked Callista if she wanted to go out and grab a drink. She agreed, still riding the high from her phone call with Loki and not at all ready to go back to her tiny apartment and start fretting over what to wear for their “dinner-not-date.”</p>
<p>The venue was not so much a bar as an upscale cocktail lounge, high in the upper floors of one of the nearby skyscrapers, and Callista found herself sitting in a low leather thing with an uncomfortably short back that couldn’t seem to decide whether it was supposed to be a couch or a chair. One look at the pricey menu told her she would only be ordering one drink, a detail that didn’t seem to bother the other ladies, who were happily chatting about the shoot. </p>
<p>It turned out both Francesca and Adelle were very experienced in the magazine and print scene, but neither of them had booked private shoots or done boudoir like Callista and so they were currently bombarding her with questions.</p>
<p>“Don’t you ever feel self-conscious doing...nude shoots?” Francesca asked in a hushed voice, her long blonde hair swaying and her martini glass tipping at a dangerous angle as she leaned closer.</p>
<p>“Maybe the first few times, but you get used to it. And everything is always spelled out in the contract in advance so you aren’t taken by surprise on the spot.”</p>
<p>
  <em> Usually. </em>
</p>
<p>Callista smiled into her drink, taking a sip to hide the blush heating her cheeks as her mind wandered to how <em> wonderfully </em> off script her last boudoir shoot had gone.</p>
<p>“Callista?”</p>
<p>“Huh?” She looked up from her glass, apparently she had missed a question from Adelle, who was looking at her curiously, a crease forming between her eyes in the otherwise flawless dark skin of her beautiful face.</p>
<p>“You’ve been so distracted since we got here. Everything okay?”</p>
<p>“Oh yeah. You know, I just have a lot on my mind.” She set her drink down, chuckling conspiratorially. “But who doesn't these days, right? What were you saying?”</p>
<p>Adelle narrowed her eyes. “Okay, who is he?”</p>
<p>“Who’s who?”</p>
<p>“The guy,” Adelle and Francesca said in perfect unison, which promptly caused all three of them to burst out laughing, and several other patrons to turn in their direction, snooty faces looking scandalized by the undignified disruption to the elevator ambiance. </p>
<p>“Okay... so there's this guy I guess I’m seeing?” It came out like a question, but Callista continued, “We’ve known each other for a while and I’ve always had the hots for him. And we <em> finally </em> hooked up a few days ago. I kind of thought it would be a one time thing but then he called me earlier today and asked me to go to dinner with him this weekend.”</p>
<p>Francesa and Adelle proceeded to respond with the obligatory feminine “Ooooo!” while shimmying in excitement and scooting closer.</p>
<p>“That’s awesome! God, it’s been so long since I went on a real date. Where is he taking you?” Francesca asked, a dreamy expression on her face.</p>
<p>“We’re going to Bengal Tiger. But it’s not a <em> date </em>,” Callista laughed. “He was very clear that it was ‘just dinner,’ on the phone.” She scooped a maraschino cherry out of her glass and realized the two women were staring at her.</p>
<p>“Well what the fuck is that supposed to mean?” Adelle asked, looking nearly as scandalized as the other patrons had a moment ago.</p>
<p>“Um…”</p>
<p>“You two were already intimate right?” Francesca piped in, and Callista nodded, an uncomfortable feeling settling in the pit of her stomach.</p>
<p>“And then he calls you up and asks you to go to dinner. Presumably this is going to be followed by more sex?”</p>
<p>“We’re supposed to go to his place for dessert after.”</p>
<p>Francesca and Adelle looked at each other before turning back to her. </p>
<p>“Sounds like a date to me,” Adelle pronounced, lounging back with her drink and surveying the room like she had just solved the mystery of the Holy Grail.</p>
<p>“Yeah but why would he insist that it’s not a date then?” Francesca mused, leaning her elbows on her knees and staring out the window at the city beyond. “Mmm,” she said, pursing her lips together and shaking her head. “Date implies <em> dating </em> which implies you two are a thing, and he’s probably trying to make it clear that he wants something casual. No relationship. Is that what you want?”</p>
<p>“Oh, um..” Callista floundered, feeling a bit lightheaded and wondering if it was from the conversation or the drink she had on an empty stomach. “I guess I hadn’t really thought much about that yet.”</p>
<p>“Well you better decide. Because if you don’t know what you want, then you definitely have no shot to get what you want. And girl,” she added, looking pointedly at Callista up and down, “you should <em> definitely </em> be getting what you want.”</p>
<p>“Okay, enough, Cesca, you’re bumming her out. Those guys over there have been eyeing us for at least twenty minutes now,” Adelle said, gesturing to a table with four Wallstreet-looking suits, each making sure their Rolex was clearly visible beneath their cuff-linked shirts. “Let’s let them buy us another round.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>~~~</p>
<p>On Friday morning, Callista was so relieved she had lied and pushed back their “dinner-not-date” to Saturday. Her conversation from the previous evening with Francesca and Adelle had kept her up half the night, wondering what it meant and why the label mattered so much. More importantly, did she want it to be a date? Did she want to date Loki? Have a relationship with him?</p>
<p>She couldn’t really imagine what that would look like between them. Did she want to see him again? Yes. Did she want to sleep with him again? <em> HELL </em> yes. But dating? The word “boyfriend” seemed wildly inappropriate to even exist in the same room as Loki, let alone apply to him directly. </p>
<p>Stepping out of the shower where she had been musing over the dilemma, she dried herself with a towel and slipped into her fuzzy bathrobe, walking into her bedroom to deal with the next problem.</p>
<p>She may not have figured out the “dinner-not-date” puzzle, but the more pressing issue was: what the fuck was she supposed to wear?</p>
<p>His job was to photograph people at their sexiest. Her job was to show up at his place, ready for work, as sexy and desirable as she could literally make herself appear.</p>
<p>Laying out all of her lingerie and best undergarments, she ran a hand over her face. He had already seen her in at least half of these pieces, and the ones he hadn’t surely wouldn’t give the “wow-factor” she was going for.</p>
<p>
  <em> Maybe it’s just best to go commando. </em>
</p>
<p>She laughed to herself, deciding she would pick her outfit first and then return to the underwear.</p>
<p>Her closet did not make her feel any better. She pulled out a few dresses, her sexiest tops, and the pair of jeans that made her ass irresistible to any male, without fail (even the gay male models she worked with had to take a second look and compliment her when she wore them. And then promptly ask for the designer, of course).</p>
<p>Would a dress be too fancy? Fuck, it was so cold out too. She looked up the restaurant on her phone, trying to get a feel for what would be appropriate to wear. The place looked nice, but not super fancy. The pictures on Yelp showed a few with tables of people in a range of clothes, but definitely not cocktail dresses.</p>
<p>She grabbed that pile of hangers and tucked them back into her closet.</p>
<p>Fuck, maybe this really wasn’t a “date.”</p>
<p>And with that thought, disappointment sunk down like a lead weight in her stomach. Apparently she <em> did </em> want it to be a date. Her nerves should have told her as much. She normally never got this nervous to meet up with a guy. But now the thought of this dinner filled her with apprehension. And though she wanted to have dinner with him, was excited to see him outside of the studio, to talk to him, and get to know him outside of work, part of her wished she could just jump ahead to late Saturday night, when they would be tangled in each other's arms. Sex, as always, was the easy part. Everything else was....</p>
<p>Her hands ran over the tops she’d laid out on the bed, but she wasn’t able to concentrate on them, too busy replaying what it was like to be with him, to feel his skin on hers, to tangle her hands in his hair...to sleep in his embrace. Yes, that was what she wanted. </p>
<p>To be his.</p>
<p>She picked up her phone, pressing the contact for her best friend, Lane.</p>
<p>“Hey. We need to go shopping.”</p>
<p>~~~</p>
<p>
  <b>“Yea, FUCK HIM UP, Deviant! Ha! AVENGE ME!”</b>
</p>
<p>
  <b>Loki laughed, adjusting his headset mic before his character respawned. The Overwatch soundtrack blasted into his ears, pumping him with adrenaline and excitement. It was his favorite way to release all that pent up tension - both from his trauma all those years ago and his weekly work stresses.</b>
</p>
<p>
  <b>It was Friday night, and he had just met up with his online game group. The six of them were climbing the competitive ranks, and they were a well-oiled machine after having played weekly for almost two years. It brought out the same bloodlust and focus he had learned in warrior training, and since his style of combat was very intellectual, transitioning those skills to this video game was rather easy.</b>
</p>
<p>
  <b>And fun. It was definitely fun.</b>
</p>
<p><b> <em>“Shit, Ice, that was a hell of a suicide run!”</em> </b> <b> DeviantMinds, their shield tank main, crackled through the headset. </b> <b> <em>“You are the CRAZIEST Junkrat player out there, I swear to God.”</em> </b></p>
<p>
  <b>“It’s all about knowing when to blow yourself up,” Loki, a.k.a. ColdAsIce, snarked back. “Besides...I’m in a good mood. I tend to be more explody when I’m in a good mood.”</b>
</p>
<p><b> <em>“Oh really?” </em> </b> <b>PrincessCatNip, their healer main, chimed in. </b> <b> <em>“And what, exactly has you in such a— SHIT, Cardio, I need backup! I can’t get this fucking Sombra off my ass!”</em> </b></p>
<p><b> <em>“On my way,”</em> </b> <b> CardioVelasquez reported, his Genji appearing and taking out the obnoxious backline attacker. </b> <b> <em>“Now say thank you.”</em> </b></p>
<p><b> <em>“Don’t be a dick, or you won’t get healing,”</em> </b> <b> she replied in a sing-song voice. </b> <b> <em>“And I still want to know why Ice is happy. Usually he’s moody as fuck.”</em> </b></p>
<p><b>Loki laughed again as his character made its way back to the battle. “I’m under no obligation to divulge</b> <b> <em> anything</em> </b> <b>...but since I know you won’t stop harassing me until I tell you...”</b></p>
<p>
  <b>He took a deep breath and couldn’t help the smile that spread across his lips as he thought of Callista...</b>
</p>
<p>
  <b>“I’m going to dinner tomorrow with...someone.”</b>
</p>
<p><b> <em>“Seriously?! You’re going on a DATE?!” </em> </b> <b>The high-pitched whine of GoldenBoi, another healer, chimed in right as Loki’s character approached the battlefield. GoldenBoi buffed him before he jumped in the fray, but wouldn’t let up on the revelation Loki had just made. </b> <b> <em>“Aw, and here I thought you were a basement dweller like the rest of us...”</em> </b></p>
<p><b>“It’s not a </b> <b> <em>date</em> </b> <b>,” Loki insisted, blowing up a nearby enemy before standing on the payload, causing it to move forward slowly while they waited for the next assault by the other team. “It’s just a dinner. And then dessert back at my place.”</b></p>
<p><b> <em>“Confirmed, THAT is a date,”</em> </b> <b> FeministHammer, their attack tank, chuckled mirthfully into the mic. </b> <b> <em>“Now stop pining over whoever-the-fuck you’re gonna bang tomorrow night and SUPPORT ME! I can only absorb so much damage waiting for you lazy-ass DPS mains do your fucking jobs.”</em> </b></p>
<p>
  <b>“Oh, shut up,” Loki scoffed, destroying the players that were hounding her. “Look. All better. Want a lollipop now for your bravery?”</b>
</p>
<p><b> <em>“Fuck you,” </em> </b> <b>Fem responded. </b> <b> <em>“Just focus, lovebird, we’re almost to the point.”</em> </b></p>
<p>
  <b>After another few minutes of intense fighting, shouting, and swearing, their team finally succeeded. They won the match.</b>
</p>
<p><b> <em>“VICTORY!”</em> </b> <b> Deviant yelled as the game came to an end, and all six laughed and congratulated each other.</b></p>
<p><b>Loki sat back, a wide smile on his face. These people were the closest thing to </b> <b> <em>friends</em> </b> <b> he had made since his exile began...and he’d never met them face to face. They lived all over the world - DeviantMinds was in the UK, PrincessCatNip lived in Argentina, CardioVelasquez was in Los Angeles, FeministHammer was in Serbia, and GoldenBoi lived in Korea. And yet they all found a way to relate, to come together over a common interest and, in turn, they found other commonalities as well. Though, truth be told, they all mostly just wanted to kick ass and scream obscenities at internet strangers, for all their own reasons.</b></p>
<p>
  <b>Being a 1500 year old exiled sorcerer prince sometimes called for some vehement outbursts, and here he had found a place to do that.</b>
</p>
<p>
  <b>Now that the match was over, Loki felt tired. He wanted to get some sleep, then focus on preparing for tomorrow evening.</b>
</p>
<p>
  <b>“OK, I’m going to log off,” Loki said, opening his loot boxes in the game. “I’ll catch you all next week.”</b>
</p>
<p><b> <em>“Don’t think you’re getting out of telling us about this DATE, Ice,”</em> </b> <b> PrincessCatNip chimed in. </b> <b> <em>“You wanna stay on this team, we’re gonna need DETAILS.”</em> </b></p>
<p>
  <b>Everyone else verbalized their agreement, and Loki chuckled. “Fine. I’ll let you know how it goes. See you around.”</b>
</p>
<p>
  <b>After the chorus of goodbyes, he logged off. Minimizing the game window in his computer...the image of Callista and him appeared immediately. He’d forgotten to close Photoshop before joining the game, and now the photograph seared itself into his mind. Norns, he wanted her again. Wanted her as more than just a friend-with-benefits, too.</b>
</p>
<p>
  <b>With a sigh, he rolled his chair back and headed to bed, imagining what the next day would bring.</b>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Buckle up for the next chapter, folks. It's going to be...something else.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. Chapter 6</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>It's Loki's turn to be exposed.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Bit of a long chapter, but we hope you'll forgive us once you read it.<br/>Also, please note the updated tags.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>As Callista walked up the block, eyeing the restaurant on the corner, she attempted to quell the fluttering feeling in her stomach. Despite her successful shopping spree with her best friend, Lane, she still wasn’t completely sure what to make of her “dinner-not-date” with Loki, and her mind ran over the conversation they had at the mall the day before.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>The Day Before...</span>
  </em>
</p><p><span>“Cal, </span><em><span>anything</span></em><span> can be considered a date</span> <span>nowadays. Netflix and tacos are a date night for some people. It’s not like you to be so stressed like this. Seducing hot guys is kinda your thing and it seems like you already did that pretty successfully.” Lane had said all of this while digging through the clearance bins at Victoria’s Secret, both of them already weighed down by bags from half a dozen other stores.</span></p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, but how many people have a</span>
  <em>
    <span> first</span>
  </em>
  <span> date like that? Isn’t a first date supposed to be kind of special? And how will I know if this is a date if he is insisting it’s not a date, and why would he even say that any--”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Okay, you are overthinking this by a lot. There will be way more signs that this is a date than if it isn’t. What about this?” She held up a lacey black push-up bra with a fake diamond heart dangling from the middle.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No, he sees me in black lingerie most of the time. Sometimes white but it’s almost always black. Color occasionally, when the client wants the selective photo effect, but they inevitably choose red. What signs are you thinking of?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lane moved over to the next bin, rejected all the contents at once, and moved to a different display. “Well for one thing, flowers are like the classic sign for a date being a </span>
  <em>
    <span>date</span>
  </em>
  <span>.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“True. But we are meeting at the restaurant. Do you think he would bring flowers to the restaurant? What am I supposed to do with them all night?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Good point. Huh...that’s another thing.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“He’s not picking you up. Picking you up is another classic sign of a date.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, I guess it is…” Callista said, sorting through some frilly underwear without really noticing what she was looking at.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Okay what color hasn’t he seen you in, since he’s seen you in pretty much every style?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I don’t know...green?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lane nodded, her face focused and determined as she dragged Callista to another section of the store. “Okay but even if he’s not picking you up or giving you flowers, it could still be a date. If he reaches across the table for your hand--classic. And if he pays, obviously.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Does that still matter nowadays? Ugh, that part makes me feel so awkward. This was so much easier when I just wanted to bang him.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lane snorted. “Cal, let’s be real. That was never all you wanted from him.” She took her friend’s hand and gave it a little squeeze. “That’s okay too, you know. To want him like that, want a relationship even after--”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It was Callista’s turn to interrupt. “Let’s not go there.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Noted. Oh! What about this?” Lane held up her find, triumph on her face. Before Callista could even answer she was shoving her towards the dressing room. “It’s your size, you’re trying it on, and you’re showing me.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>...And that was how Callista found herself heading into a date-maybe-not-date wearing an emerald green strapless bra with matching panties. She had to admit, the silk fabric was unbelievably soft and comfortable, even if she felt the color was a little dramatic. But Loki had never seen her in that color before, so at least she felt she had succeeded in her goal of surprising him with something new.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The outfit ended up being an off-the-shoulder blush sweater that </span>
  <em>
    <span>really</span>
  </em>
  <span> should have been worn with leggings or jeans, but was just long enough that she could get away with wearing it as a dress. She added a wide belt to accentuate her waist, and brand new suede gray over-the-knee boots that she just couldn’t resist buying (even though they cost half her last paycheck). At least with her long pea coat on, no one on the street could see how short her sweater-dress was. And really, her boots came up high enough on her thigh that there was only about six inches of skin uncovered.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>When she walked into the restaurant, Loki was waiting for her inside the vestibule meant to keep out the cold. He had his hair tied back again and was so breathtakingly handsome in his long coat and winter scarf that for a moment, all of Callista’s worries just melted away. He was here, they were together, and something about that just felt so </span>
  <em>
    <span>right</span>
  </em>
  <span> she forgot about everything else.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>Loki had gotten there too early, in fear of arriving late. His stomach had been in knots ALL day, and he tapped his foot anxiously as he leaned against the wall of the lobby in the restaurant, flicking through his phone but not really absorbing anything on the screen, wearing earbuds with nothing playing. He just wanted people to leave him alone...but he looked up every time the door opened.</b>
</p><p>
  <b>Then, finally, right when he had almost convinced himself that this was</b>
  <b>
    <em> not </em>
  </b>
  <b>going to be a complete disaster of a night, it was her. He almost dropped his phone, but he pulled himself together and stood upright, taking out his earbuds while smiling widely. His eyebrows peaked and his dimples appeared - a look he rarely made, he could feel the strain of it in his face - and he walked toward her, putting away his phone.</b>
</p><p>
  <b>“Hey, Calli. Happy Saturday. You look wonderful. May I take your coat?”</b>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hi. You too, I mean thank you—yes.” Callista started unbuttoning her coat, cheeks heating slightly at her flustered greeting. “Let’s just step all the way in first—it’s still freezing even in here.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>They walked through the second door into the restaurant, which welcomed them with both warmth and the tantalizing aroma of Indian cuisine, and Callista pulled off her coat, turning to hand it to Loki.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Is our name in for a table? Or do we have a reservation?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>As he took her coat and she walked past him, he froze for just a moment. That </b>
  <b>
    <em>dress</em>
  </b>
  <b>...if it could be called that...made him absolutely wild. It hugged her body in </b>
  <b>
    <em>all</em>
  </b>
  <b> the right places, hinting at sexiness without overtly screaming it.</b>
</p><p>
  <b>Just right for a boudoir model.</b>
</p><p>
  <b>She seemed to notice his inability to operate for a few seconds, and a satisfied smile spread across her lips before she casually-but-obviously-intentionally turned to look at something on the wall. Loki did have a fleeting thought that, perhaps, she had really dressed up for their dinner-not-date, but...he also knew Calli had an impeccable fashion sense. This was probably just how she dressed </b>
  <b>
    <em>all the time</em>
  </b>
  <b> outside of work. And she was probably used to these kinds of reactions, too. Loki swallowed hard to compose himself when a man in an apron came up to them, smiling.</b>
</p><p>
  <b>“Mr. Laufeyson! So good to see you again! Hang your coats, then come, come! This way.”</b>
</p><p>
  <b>Loki hung Callista's coat, then his own and his scarf. He never would have admitted it to her, but it had taken him </b>
  <b>
    <em>three hours</em>
  </b>
  <b> to choose his outfit. Most of the time, he only wore black or grey, with the occasional pop of white for contrast. But tonight...he wore green.</b>
</p><p>
  <b>Something about donning his old colors gave him strength, like when he'd prepared to go into battle. It calmed him, helped him focus. The satin green waistcoat seemed an appropriate garment for the occasion, reminding him, on the one hand, of an armored chest plate. On the other hand, it tapered his torso in such a way that it flattered his lean frame. And with Callista looking to all the world like a goddess...he might as well try to dress the part of the god he was. At least a little. </b>
</p><p>
  <b>The enthusiastic server led them back to a private table and laid two menus down in front of them. “I will return soon to take your order. Always good to see you, sahib!”</b>
</p><p>
  <b>Loki nodded, then looked to Callista as the man scurried off.</b>
</p><p>
  <b>“This is one of my favorite restaurants,” he grinned, pushing the menu toward her. “Anything you order will be delicious, I promise. But </b>
  <b>
    <em>I’m</em>
  </b>
  <b> getting the garlic paranthas and lamb vindaloo.”</b>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Loki was talking to Callista very enthusiastically about the food, but she was too distracted by his clothes to take in anything he said. Her brain didn’t know where to start. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He almost exclusively wore black, but tonight he wore a crisp white button down with, of all things, a green vest. An </span>
  <em>
    <span>emerald green</span>
  </em>
  <span> vest, the exact color of her underwear. She bit her lip, half afraid she might start laughing, which she may well have done if it wasn’t for...the sleeves. Rolled up to the elbow, drawing attention to his perfectly sculpted forearms, elegant wrists, and long fingers: her weakness. Truth be told, he usually had his sleeves rolled up while he worked, and she always found it a bit distracting. But now, with the vest, Callista felt like she would enjoy nothing better than to be bent over his knee for a good spanking. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Maybe she would ask him to do that later.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She picked up the menu to hide her face while she attempted to gain some measure of composure. “Yes, of course,” she said distractedly, clearing her throat. “I’ll probably order the masala gobi, but let’s order some drinks though, shall we? I could </span>
  <em>
    <span>really</span>
  </em>
  <span> use a drink.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>When the waiter approached, Loki smiled and bowed his head slightly before ordering.</b>
</p><p>
  <b>
    <em>“Susandhya, sahib. Hum lehsun ke paranthe, gosht vindoo, masaala gobi aur baasmati chaaval ki ek plate order karna chahte hain. Peene ke lie, hum Sauvignon Blanc ki ek botal lena chahte hain, jo bhojan ko poorak banaayegi. Dhanyavaad.” </em>
  </b>
  <b>[Good evening. We’d like the garlic paranthas, the lamb vindaloo, the masala gobi, and a side of basmati rice.  To drink, we’ll have a bottle of Sauvignon Blanc that complements the meal. Thank you.]</b>
</p><p>
  <b>He thrilled watching Callista’s eyes open wide as he ordered their meal in perfect Hindi. One of the benefits of Allspeak, though perhaps not its most noble use, was being able to impress Midgardians with fluency in their languages. He held the chuckle in his throat, trying to play it cool.</b>
</p><p>
  <b>“I ordered us Sauvignon Blanc, by the way. It pairs beautifully with these dishes. I hope you don’t mind.”</b>
</p><p>
  <b>When she simply continued to gawk at him, he did let a small smile spread across his lips.</b>
</p><p>
  <b>“I </b>
  <b>
    <em>told you</em>
  </b>
  <b> this is my favorite restaurant. And I dare say there’s probably a lot about me you don’t know. I wasn’t ALWAYS an edgy New York photographer, you know...”</b>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Callista blinked in surprise. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Of course</span>
  </em>
  <span> he was multilingual. Why was it always such a turn on when guys could speak other languages with such confidence? She wondered what other languages he knew.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Okay then, </span>
  <em>
    <span>Loki</span>
  </em>
  <span>,” she said, leaning forward onto the table with her wrists. “Let’s hear all about your mysterious past.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>Loki chuckled and began to spin his half-truths as had done for many years. He came from a wealthy family, had been highly educated and well-traveled, and was set on a path to follow in his father's footsteps as a politician, until he discovered he was adopted. He had a major "falling out" with his brother (ha ha), got involved with some less-than-savory types and made some big mistakes. So he'd come to New York to start over and make his own way. </b>
</p><p>
  <b>The biggest lie in his entire story was that he said he arrived after the attacks and took on the moniker of Loki Laufeyson to get his foot in the door of the couture fashion world. But otherwise...his background was just vague enough to be believable. And she listened along intently, though he could see her gaze wander distractedly down to his forearms occasionally before flicking back up to his eyes. He was about to playfully call her out on it when the food arrived.</b>
</p><p>
  <b>Said food was, of course, phenomenal. Bengal Tiger was one of the hidden gems of the city - squirreled away from the haute critics and just making delicious, authentic fare. It instantly “broke the ice”, so to speak, as she asked about his past and he learned about her. They laughed, whispered conspiratorially, commented on the state of the world, and in general had a wonderful conversation. And as they enjoyed their meal, the drinks kept coming...</b>
</p><p>
  <b>By the time they left, Loki was pleasantly buzzed, and Callista's glassy-eyed smile indicated she was feeling the same. He paid the bill (specifically telling Callista not to Venmo him for her portion and if she wanted to make it even, she could get the next meal) while she called an Uber. She leaned on him as they stood from the table giggling, her touch feeling amazingly good. He helped her with her coat before putting on his own, and she looped her arm in his as they made their way out the door to the awaiting car.</b>
</p><p>
  <b>Back at his place, he stumbled through the door with a snort. How many glasses of wine had they gone through? How many </b>
  <b>
    <em>bottles</em>
  </b>
  <b>? He'd lost count while he was staring into her eyes with significantly less inhibition than he usually allowed himself. But he felt </b>
  <b>
    <em>wonderful</em>
  </b>
  <b> - relaxed and better than he'd been in as long as he could remember. The evening had been splendid...and he intended to continue the fun.</b>
</p><p>
  <b>He asked Calli to stay in the living room while he retrieved something from his bedroom, and returned with a small glass container filled with green buds, an onyx pipe, a lighter, and a metal cylinder.</b>
</p><p>
  <b>"Ok, ok ok, " he chuckled, setting them down on the coffee table in front of her and joining her on the couch. "Another secret revealed - I enjoy smoking marijuana on occasion, and tonight, I want to indulge. Would you like to join me?"</b>
</p><p>
  <b>He leaned in with a jovial, joking grin. "If so, I promise you the </b>
  <b>
    <em>best </em>
  </b>
  <b>snacks for munchies you've ever tasted. What do you say?"</b>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I say I’ve got some of the snacks covered!” She opened her purse (she had purposely brought her largest bag so she had her overnight essentials with her, assuming things would be heading in that direction) and pulled out a large Tupperware of Italian rainbow cookies. They looked much nicer and fancier in their bakery box, but she had to transport them in something sturdier so they wouldn’t get crushed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I brought dessert, remember?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She looked up at him after setting the container on the table. He was a little blurry around the edges from all the wine she’d had with dinner—really, the waiter had been a bit too attentive about refilling her glass—but she was pleased to find that Loki looked just as delicious as he always did when she was sober.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>“Mmmmm, those look </b>
  <b>
    <em>divine</em>
  </b>
  <b>. Made them yourself, did you?” He chuckled, noting the Tupperware as he opened the glass container and loaded several large buds in the cylinder grinder, twisting it as he spoke.</b>
</p><p>
  <b>“I have a weakness for sweets...food and otherwise,” he said in a low voice, wondering if she heard the innuendo. The look she gave him certainly seemed to indicate she did. With a grin and a final twist of his wrists, he opened the cylinder, then packed the bowl of the onyx pipe with the freshly ground pot.</b>
</p><p>
  <b>Holding it up, he offered it to her first.</b>
</p><p>
  <b>“Would you like to go first? It’s a sativa hybrid I’m rather fond of - great for creativity and inspiration.”</b>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Ha!” She laughed as she took the pipe from him, lighting it and inhaling deeply. “The last thing you’d want is something that came from my kitchen. I can't cook or bake for shit.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She passed the pipe back to him, watching his hands and feeling terribly warm all of a sudden. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I like your vest.” She fingered the hem of the silky green fabric. “It really brings out the color in your eyes.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>“Hmm...well thank you,” he muttered, feeling heat rise to his cheeks but hoping he wasn’t turning noticeably redder. “It’s my favorite color, next to black. But can you really call black a color? It’s literally more of a ‘lack of color’, isn’t it...?”</b>
</p><p>
  <b>He was rambling, the nerves beginning to reappear she got closer. He thought he’d be ready for this moment, as many times as he’d gone over it in his head...he lit the pipe and inhaled, feeling airy relief flow through him. Some additional easy confidence as well, thank the Norns for that.</b>
</p><p>
  <b>“And I like your outfit as well...” Without thinking, his hand moved to her hip, feeling the fabric of the sweater dress beneath his fingers.</b>
</p><p>
  <b>“Cashmere. Nice choice. And this color complements the tone of your skin beautifully...” He looked up and met her eyes, seeing the excitement and lust there, and he grinned.</b>
</p><p>
  <b>“Would you like some more?” He asked, passing the pipe back. She took it, and he turned to open the Tupperware, grabbing a cookie. He bit into it while his gaze was affixed to Callista, taking out his desire to eat </b>
  <b>
    <em>her</em>
  </b>
  <b> on the dessert.</b>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Thank you,” she said, relaxing into his side on the couch. She watched him eat the colorful little cake with rapt attention, despite her somewhat blurry vision.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Do you like them? My friend’s boyfriend owns a bakery. He studied in Paris. Their apartment always smells amazing. He’s constantly experimenting with his recipes.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She sighed, a wave of relaxation washing over her. “You’re right, this stuff is good.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>“There are some things I have on a budget. My weed isn’t one of them,” he chuckled, moving closer to her. His head was beginning to swim pleasantly with the effects of the marijuana, and he picked up another cookie, holding it up to Callista’s lips.</b>
</p><p>
  <b>“Your turn...”</b>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Callista took a bite of the sweet, making sure to brush Loki’s fingers with her lips as she did. When she took the remainder from him with her second bite, she let her tongue sneak out to lick his thumb, watching his pupils dilate.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Mmm...tell me, what’s the best thing you’ve ever eaten? You must have had your pick of fancy cuisine with your upbringing.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She repositioned herself, tucking her boots under her and leaning on the back of the couch with one arm so she could pull his hair from the tie. It was so shiny. It seemed extra shiny right now, almost blue, she noticed.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>Loki shook his hair, letting it fall around his face. He looked at Callista and his heart began to flutter...not to mention the rush of blood flowing down between his legs. He met her eyes again, and leaned closer. He was feeling bold, perhaps carelessly so, but he loved her fire, how she challenged him.</b>
</p><p>
  <b>“I’ve eaten things you can’t even imagine. From places you couldn’t dream of. Oh, I wish I could tell you the things I’ve seen, the things I’ve done...”</b>
</p><p>
  <b>He was feeling very relaxed. Melting into her just a bit, he pressed his cheek to hers and nuzzled, thrilling at the feel of her skin.</b>
</p><p>
  <b>“I once ate snow from top of the highest peak of Jotunheim...and airy delicacies from Vanaheim...”</b>
</p><p>
  <b>He was in a happy state of bliss, hardly registering what he was saying. The wine and the pot were definitely putting him in a good mood.</b>
</p><p>
  <b>“And the desserts of </b>
  <b>
    <em>Asgard</em>
  </b>
  <b>, mmmm! You would die for it - Norns, do I miss berlinerkranser...”</b>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Callista laughed as she listened to Loki, idly twirling a strand of his hair around her finger. “You have the </span>
  <em>
    <span>best</span>
  </em>
  <span> vocabulary. Jotunheim?” She laughed even harder “Jotunheim, oh my god.” That’s the best word I’ve ever heard. Say it again!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>“YO-TUN-HIME” Loki chuckled, his lips feeling tingly and strange. “You know, that is a funny word. I’ve never thought of it that way before. YO-TUN-HIIIIME.”</b>
</p><p>
  <b>Loki snorted and fairly fell into Callista, reveling in the warmth of whatever bare skin he touched and humming with satisfaction.</b>
</p><p>
  <b>“Would you believe I was BORN there? A silly place called YO-TUN-HIME?”</b>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“YO-TUN-HIME!” Callista repeated, clutching her stomach as a few tears of laughter leaked from her eyes. “That sounds like some German dance or something, but you’re not allowed to do it unless you’re wearing very large boots and have a mustache.” The image of that sent her into further hysterics.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>Loki joined her in hysterical laughter, laughing so hard that he actually fell into the gap between the couch and the coffee table. His predicament made him laugh even harder.</b>
</p><p>
  <b>He laid on the floor laughing, clutching his stomach, barely able to stop long enough to inhale.</b>
</p><p>
  <b>“No, the Jotuns are </b>
  <b>
    <em>giant </em>
  </b>
  <b>and </b>
  <b>
    <em>blue!</em>
  </b>
  <b>” he wheezed, still laughing so hard he could hardly breathe. “Oh gods, now I’m imagining them in mustaches and lederhosen...NORNS!”</b>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Norns!!!!” Callista said in delight. That was absolutely her favorite new word. It felt so good on her tongue, like jello and rollercoasters. “Blue giants doing the Jotunheim dance! Oh my god--we should make up the dance.” She stood up, grabbing Loki and trying to drag him to his feet. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I bet you can dance so good. Of course you can, with an ass like that. We should—hey wait a minute.” She dropped Loki’s arm which thudded to the floor before he caught himself, half sitting. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Before, you said ‘Asgard.’ Assssgaaaaaarrrd.” She drew out the word as though trying to spell it and say it at the same time. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’ve heard of that one! Is it in Europe? I’m terrible at geography but I’m pretty sure it’s Europe, right?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>“Pfft, no. It’s not even in this </b>
  <b>
    <em>realm</em>
  </b>
  <b>. EUROPE, please...”</b>
</p><p>
  <b>Loki was </b>
  <b>
    <em>far</em>
  </b>
  <b> gone, much farther than ever before.</b>
</p><p>
  <b>“It’s </b>
  <b>
    <em>lightyears</em>
  </b>
  <b> from here. All the other realms are, that’s why humans haven’t been able to find them yet.”</b>
</p><p>
  <b>He laughed again, picking up a cookie and taking a bite. FUCK, it was the most delicious cookie he’d ever eaten. His eyes rolled up and he groaned.</b>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Ohhh wow,” she said seriously, sinking onto the floor next to him and taking a cookie for herself. “What’s it like there?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>“Gold. Lotsa gold,” Loki slurred, mouth still full of cookie crumbs as he spread his hands out wide as if to display it in front of her. “Spires reaching high into the sky, soaring mountains in the distance, and the great oceanic waterfalls always pouring into the ether...”</b>
</p><p>
  <b>Loki got a little teary eyed thinking about it, his intensity of mirth now turning to an intensity of nostalgia and regret.</b>
</p><p>
  <b>“I miss it so much sometimes...”</b>
</p><p>
  <b>He took another bite of his cookie.</b>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It sounds sooooooo beautiful,” she crooned, wiping his eye and kissing his cheek, hating to see him sad, even though she didn’t understand why. “I just had the best idea. </span>
  <em>
    <span>We</span>
  </em>
  <span> should go to Asgard! Can we go? Please, please!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>“Oh, darling I would love that,” he smiled through the tears. “But I can’t go back there...”</b>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She pouted, sliding over to straddle him on the floor where he rested with his back against the couch. The movement caused her sweater-dress to slide up dangerously high, and she vaguely hoped Loki might do something about it, but she was too preoccupied with this Asgard situation and Loki’s sad face to give the matter her full attention.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Why not?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>“You KNOW!” he wailed, losing his connection with the moment. He was back on that Chitauri speeder, flying through the streets of New York, scared out of his mind and completely unsure how he had ended up in the mad situation, much less how it would turn out.</b>
</p><p>
  <b>“I tried to conquer Midgard! I allied with Thanos and fought for the Mad Titan! I...I...”</b>
</p><p>
  <b>He suddenly realized what he was saying. His heart froze, and he looked up into her eyes, wondering if she was understanding what he just admitted to...</b>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Something in the back of Callista’s mind was attempting to get her attention, but Loki was in front of her, beneath her, looking so beautiful and tragic that she couldn’t concentrate on anything else. “The Mad Titan, that doesn’t sound good at all, poor baby.” She kissed along his temple unaware of his suddenly stiff demeanor. “What’s a Midgard? And how do you know so many big words? I think I need to travel more...”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>“I...I...”</b>
</p><p>
  <b>He couldn’t shake himself from the paranoia. He had just </b>
  <b>
    <em>outed</em>
  </b>
  <b> himself, she </b>
  <b>
    <em>knew</em>
  </b>
  <b>. And now she was just playing dumb, trying to make him feel better.</b>
</p><p>
  <b>No. He had to have courage. He had to be honest, finally, for once in his exile.</b>
</p><p>
  <b>“I am Loki, of Asgard,” he said, his voice trembling. “I came here, to Midgard, to conquer it, nine years ago...”</b>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Loki of Asgard. Lokiiiiii of Asgard,” she sounded, and then she froze too. “Oh. My. God. </span>
  <em>
    <span>That’s</span>
  </em>
  <span> where I know Asgard from! I knew I heard it before! You were on the news!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>“Um...yes, yes I was...” he sputtered. The glamour spell only worked so long as the other person didn’t know the true identity of its caster. She knew now...she would recognize him.</b>
</p><p>
  <b>
    <em>Oh shit. What have I done?</em>
  </b>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Ohhhh my god,” she cackled, throwing her head back. “You tried to take over the world! Literally! Ooooo you're even more of a bad boy than I thought.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She leaned forward, licking the shell of his ear before abruptly pushing back from his chest. “Wait a second! You said you had a falling out with your brother at dinner....you mean Thor! You were talking about Thor! Ohmygodyouknow </span>
  <em>
    <span>THOR!</span>
  </em>
  <span>”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>“You’re not...terrified?” Loki asked earnestly, seeking her face for confirmation. “I’m an </b>
  <b>
    <em>alien</em>
  </b>
  <b>. I attacked your world. And you’re more focused on the fact that </b>
  <b>
    <em>I know THOR?!</em>
  </b>
  <b>”</b>
</p><p>
  <b>He didn’t know whether to burst out in fury or laughter. He chose the latter.</b>
</p><p>
  <b>He laughed harder than he had in a very, very long time. At the madness and impossibility of it. Of having revealed himself for the first time and having it </b>
  <b>
    <em>not </em>
  </b>
  <b>be an immediate death sentence. Of realizing that he may have an actual confidant in Callista...</b>
</p><p>
  <b>“What, you want a fucking </b>
  <b>
    <em>autograph?</em>
  </b>
  <b> Ugh, such a fame whore,” he teased. “And I hate to say it, but Thor and I aren’t on the best terms at the moment.”</b>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You know, I do remember you now, with the cape and the horns. Why were they so big? Clearly you don’t have anything to compensate for.” She slid her hands down his chest and whispered in his ear, “You want to know a secret?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>“What?” he grinned, leaning toward her. Maybe this wasn’t so bad - he’d just told her a secret, and now she would give him one of hers.</b>
</p><p>
  <b>
    <em>What in the Nine is happening here?</em>
  </b>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I had sex with an alien!” She stage-whispered before dissolving into hysterics again. “You’re an alien from another planet! And you tried to take over this planet and </span>
  <em>
    <span>we had sex!</span>
  </em>
  <span>”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She braced herself on his shoulders and said, suddenly serious, “and I want to do it again.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Unbuckling her belt, she tossed it to the side, eyeing his green vest. “I </span>
  <em>
    <span>totally</span>
  </em>
  <span> get it now, with the green. Oooooh I have a surprise for you, Loki of Asgard.” She pulled off her sweater, shaking out her hair so it tumbled around her bare shoulders as she sat straddling him in nothing but her thigh-high boots and emerald green undergarments.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>“Hoooooly...FUCK, Calli,” Loki gasped, so goddamned turned on by seeing her in those green garments that he saw black around the edges of his vision. His hands went to her hips instantly and he squeezed, her perfect flesh rising between his fingers. </b>
</p><p>
  <b>He looked in her eyes - those beautiful, unbelievable eyes - searching for confirmation, searching for truth.</b>
</p><p>
  <b>She was sincere. She was open. And she was </b>
  <b>
    <em>horny as fuck.</em>
  </b>
</p><p>
  <b>“I knew you had a thing for bad boys,” Loki purred darkly before capturing her lips with his and pulling her flush against his body, using some of his Asgardian strength, just because he could. He wouldn’t hurt her...but he wanted her to</b>
  <b>
    <em> feel </em>
  </b>
  <b>his other-ness.</b>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She squealed in delight as he held her, grinding against him. “This explains so much, only an alien </span>
  <em>
    <span>god</span>
  </em>
  <span> would have a cock like that.” She laughed to herself, thinking of when she had compared him to a statue of a Greek god. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Can you really do magic?” She palmed his cock through his pants. “Show me.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>Loki’s eyes flashed green as he looked at her. He hadn’t even considered NOT showing her what he could do - her challenge was irresistible.</b>
</p><p>
  <b>“I suppose I could,” Loki’s voice came from behind her. When she spun around, he was there - in his full Asgardian regalia, scepter in his hand. His illusion stared down at her with the same psychotic madness that had possessed him during that time almost a decade ago. Loki even had his cape and hair billow in some phantom of wind as he towered over her like he was ready to conquer her </b>
  <b>
    <em>and</em>
  </b>
  <b> the planet.</b>
</p><p>
  <b>“Kneel, mortal,” Loki’s illusion growled, pointing the scepter at her.</b>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oh!” Callista shrunk back against the real Loki as she stared wide-eyed at the figure behind her. The double was...scary. But somehow the feel of Loki, warm and solid with his hands on her hips made her feel safe.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And bold.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Is that your kink? You want me to kneel for you?” She started unbuckling his pants. “Your Majesty? Is that what I should call you?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>“Actually, it’s ‘your highness,’” he hummed, adjusting so she could have easier access to his fly. “‘Your majesty’ is reserved for the king and queen— fuck, GODS!” Loki moaned and arched violently as Callista’s lips wrapped around his cock, now freed from its confines.</b>
</p><p>
  <b>“Norns, Callista, you dirty slut...” he moaned as he grabbed the back of her head and guided her movements. “FUCK you feel amazing. Suck harder...mmm that’s it. Revel in the privilege of blowing the Prince of Asgard in his mid-range Greenwich apartment.”</b>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Callista’s moment of seduction was ruined when she snorted a laugh in response. Still chuckling to herself, she looked up from where she knelt between them on the floor, stroking him with one hand, secretly glad his intimidating double had disappeared. “Okay then, my prince, why </span>
  <em>
    <span>do</span>
  </em>
  <span> you live in an apartment like this? She swirled her tongue around the tip of his cock. “No palace? Or penthouse at least?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>“You think being an exiled galactic fugitive is easy?” He chuckled, arching his hips upward even as he spoke. “I’ve got the Avengers, the Asgardians, the Jotuns, </b>
  <b>
    <em>and</em>
  </b>
  <b> Thanos after me, along with who knows what other enemies I’ve made out there. No, palaces and penthouses would be a dead give away...”</b>
</p><p>
  <b>He sighed a little, just a touch of heaviness dampening his elation with Callista’s company. “And...what would I do? What good is money and power when you don’t know what to use it for? I used to think I knew what I wanted...now all I want is to be invisible.”</b>
</p><p>
  <b>He rested his hand on her head, stroking her hair back.</b>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Well, shit,” Callista said, sitting up, feeling the weight of his words like they were her burden to bear. “When you put it like that...” She didn’t understand everything he was talking about, but she knew one thing: it made her ache inside to see the sorrow he so carefully tried to hide. She didn’t want him to hurt—she wanted him to feel good, so good. As good as he made her feel.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m not sure how to help you with all of that. And I wish I could. But tonight,” she scooted back over him, letting her extremely damp panties brush against his cock, “I want you. Even if you are an alien, I want you to fuck me like a </span>
  <em>
    <span>god</span>
  </em>
  <span>. Maybe for tonight you can just want that too, and forget the rest.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>“I think I can do that, Calli.”</b>
</p><p>
  <b>Loki smirked at her and raised his hand, then with a cocky lift of his eyebrow he snapped his fingers. Speckles of gold formed around them, swirling close to their bodies and within seconds their clothing had disappeared.</b>
</p><p>
  <b>“One of my favorite spells,” Loki growled before lifting her slightly to align her above his cock, then resting her down upon it slowly. “So glad I could share it with you. It’s been a while since I’ve used magic in front of anyone else, as you might imagine.”</b>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oh yes,” Callista moaned, immediately grinding herself down on his cock. She felt overwhelmed by him, the size of him inside her, his large hands running along her hips and back, pulling her close, and something else too that she couldn’t quite put a finger on.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It was such a relief to finally vent some of the pent up frustration and desire that had plagued her over the past week. She bounced herself up and down upon him with abandon, already close to coming. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Fuck, Loki, </span>
  <em>
    <span>my prince,</span>
  </em>
  <span> I want you!” She laughed breathlessly into his mouth as she kissed him.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>“Gods, </b>
  <b>
    <em>Calli!</em>
  </b>
  <b>” Loki groaned. Hearing his honorifics after all this time was like quenching a deep thirst. He took her lips passionately and picked up the pace, thrusting into her with abandon as she squealed with pleasure. He was on </b>
  <b>
    <em>fire</em>
  </b>
  <b> with need for her.</b>
</p><p>
  <b>“Say it again...” he moaned, his forehead pressed her hers as she kept bouncing on his cock.</b>
</p><p>
  <b>He closed his eyes and LIVED in the moment, pretending that, perhaps, he could go back to being that naive, undamaged man he had been before everything fell apart. Even if just for a few minutes, he wanted to believe her.</b>
</p><p>
  <b>“Fuck, call me </b>
  <b>
    <em>prince</em>
  </b>
  <b> again...”</b>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“My prince! Loki, my PRINCE!” Callista screamed as she came, seizing atop him, her nails digging into his shoulders.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>Loki came hard, remembering his past, clutching Callista desperately as they rode the ecstasy together. He never wanted to let her go...</b>
</p><p>
  <b>For one brief, joyful moment, he was back in Asgard, he wasn’t a Jotun, he wasn’t a conquerer, he wasn’t a fugitive on the run. He was just Prince Loki - and he lost himself in the fantasy of it until he began to come down from his peak.</b>
</p><p>
  <b>It wasn’t until he looked at Calli that he realized he had tears streaming down his cheeks.</b>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>As Callista’s climax ebbed, she saw Loki’s tears falling like little beads of glass down his perfect face. She couldn’t make sense of why and everything still felt a little fuzzy from her earlier indulgence with the weed and the wine...fuck, so much wine. But she knew that she didn’t want him to be sad.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She kissed away his tears, running her hands over his chest. “No no, my prince, everything’s okay. I’m going to make you feel so good.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Attempting to rise to her feet, the room started spinning and she plopped back down onto his lap rather ungracefully. “Take me to bed, Loki. Make love to me all night, I want to feel your mouth on me. Don’t think about anything else.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>Without a word, he simply lifted her and went to the bedroom, thoughts still swirling in sexual afterglow and nostalgia...and the effects of their indulgences. He was completely separate from Loki Laufeyson, the photographer and recluse. He wanted to believe in who he had been before for as long as he could.</b>
</p><p>
  <b>So he did. For hours and hours, he made love to her, kissing her, whispering sweet phrases in her ear, sometimes slipping into his native Asgardian tongue as he did so.  He pretended he was a prince and she was a noblewoman and they had no worries but to enjoy each other’s bodies for as long as they wanted.</b>
</p><p>
  <b>And when the sky began to grey outside his window, welcoming the morning of a new day, he was still inside her, still joined in passion, still living out his fantasy...</b>
</p><p>
  <b>He wasn’t sure when they fell asleep in each other’s arms.</b>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0007"><h2>7. Chapter 7</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Loki and Callista both grapple with the consequences of his confession.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>There be angst ahead.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>It took Callista a few tries to open her eyes. The bed was so warm, the sheets so soft, and Loki smelled so good. </p><p>But she felt like shit. Her head was pounding, and she had a swollen stiffness in all her limbs from dehydration. She cursed herself from indulging so much last night. Images of the restaurant floated up to the surface of her consciousness as she rolled away from Loki, her bladder making the final decision about waking up.</p><p>She shuffled naked to the bathroom with one eye half open, thinking about endless glasses of white wine and a particularly well-cut green vest. He had been so smooth at dinner, so charming, telling her stories about his childhood and his family. </p><p>God, her head was throbbing. She opened the medicine cabinet, hoping for a bottle of Advil or something, but it was completely empty except for a toothbrush and toothpaste. She settled for drinking right from the faucet, cupping the water with her hands. </p><p>Water had never tasted so good. </p><p>Yeah, she had really overdone it last night.</p><p>Callista froze, a cupped palm halfway to her mouth, water trickling down her wrist as images from the rest of the night came back to her.</p><p>
  <em> Jotunheim, Asgard, Loki, Mad Titan, the Battle of New York, Loki. </em>
</p><p>Loki.</p><p>Her immediate reaction was that she had dreamt it all up, but she knew that wasn’t true. Staring back at her pale reflection and blood-shot eyes, she remembered what <em> she </em> had done, how she had called Loki ‘my prince,’ kissed away his tears, begged him to make love to her.</p><p>Her throat tightened and she felt sick as she backed away from the sink, one hand covering her mouth as her heart pounded. Loki had told her he was <em> the </em> Loki of Asgard, brother of Thor, would-be conqueror of her planet, responsible for so many deaths and the near ruin of the city she called home.</p><p>Images flooded through her mind that she couldn’t make sense of...two Lokis, her clothes disappearing, shimmering golden light--it wasn’t possible. She didn’t <em> want </em> it to be possible, didn’t want to believe that she had been intimate with… <em> him, </em> that...whatever he was. No. Surely <em> the </em> Loki Laufeyson, if he managed to escape the Avenger’s custody, wouldn’t come back to New York and live as a photographer. A hysterical, panicked laugh escaped her and she slapped her other hand on top of her mouth, praying she didn’t wake him, because the alternative wasn’t much better.</p><p>No, the alternative was that this wannabe ‘Loki Laufeyson’ was a lunatic, and he had laced the weed and drugged her so she hallucinated all of those things. Fuck, he might have drugged her back at the restaurant, slipped something in her drink right from the start. Yes, that had to be it. He had drugged her and then…</p><p>
  <em> Made love to me all night like I’m the only woman in the universe. </em>
</p><p>She shook her head. That didn’t make sense either--none of this made sense and she was overwhelmed with fear and embarrassment that she had been so stupid, so blindly trusting. </p><p>Her eyes filled with tears as she quietly opened the bathroom door, heading for the living room. She grabbed her phone and immediately requested an Uber, thanking any god who might be listening that there was one available only 5 minutes away. </p><p>She pulled the spare undergarments from her bag and threw them on, along with the leggings and sweater she had packed. But when she looked around for her boots and the green underwear from the night before, they were gone. She didn’t want to think about that, didn’t want to remember what she <em> thought </em> she remembered about that.</p><p>
  <em> Fuck it. </em>
</p><p>Grabbing her coat, she hurried downstairs and out onto the street in nothing but her socks. When she saw her Uber turn the corner onto her block, she ran to it, not caring who saw her.</p><p>“You okay?” the driver asked with some alarm as she flung herself into the backseat and slammed the door shut.</p><p>“Yeah, um…” she pulled out her phone with shaking hands. “I’m just running late. Please go.”</p><p>The driver pulled away, and this time she did look back, watching for any sign that he’d heard her, that he was coming after her. But the street outside his apartment was still empty when they turned the corner.</p><p>Callista stared blankly at her phone. She should call someone. She should definitely call….someone. But who?</p><p>SHIELD? No, they would never believe her, she didn’t believe herself. Not really. Not totally.</p><p>She didn’t know what to believe. </p><p>Believing the second version of events was no comfort, was horrific, but yet she clung to that anyway, for the sake of her sanity.</p><p>When they pulled up to her apartment, she ran up the stairs two at a time, managing to get the key into the lock despite her trembling hands. She looked around when she got inside, frantically checking every room, behind the shower curtain, inside her closet, even under the bed, for...what? She wasn’t sure. But it felt good to do that.</p><p>She considered calling her mom but then changed her mind. Her brother? No way. Even the thought of talking to Lane made her feel sick. Saying any of this out loud threatened to break the little bit of her that was still holding it together.</p><p>Turning on every light in her apartment and double checking that her front door was locked, she stripped her clothes and got into the shower, scalding herself with water as hot as she could bear. She washed herself methodically, scrubbing and scrubbing until her skin was pink and angry looking, wishing she could scrub away the memories as well.</p><p>She dressed in sweats, not bothering to dry her hair before climbing into bed. Tears once again filled her eyes, this time spilling out and down her cheeks. Her hands were fisted so tightly that her nails dug into her palms, but she couldn’t stop the sob that escaped her. </p><p>Then another. </p><p>And another.</p><p>She broke finally, pressing her face into her pillows to muffle the sound of her crying, trying not to think about the way it felt to be held by Loki Laufeyson like she was the most treasured creature in the world.</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>Loki eventually woke up.</b>
</p><p><b>By the time he did, the sun was well into the sky. That was unusual - he normally couldn’t make it past 9am before his body and mind would force him into action. But something was </b> <b> <em>off </em> </b> <b>- his mouth tasted awful, his eyes hurt, and his stomach was churning. He reached for his phone on the nightstand next to him, feeling around the smooth wooden surface before opening his eyes, but he couldn’t find it. Relenting, he opened his eyes and confirmed that, indeed, his phone was not there. Nor was Callista. With a groan, he leaned up on his elbow, wincing at the light coming through his window.</b></p><p><b>She’d left him? AGAIN? What the hell had he done wrong </b> <b> <em>this </em> </b> <b>time? He flicked to the Venmo app, just to make sure she hadn’t paid him back for dinner last night as well. No pending payment...at least there was that. He listened to see if maybe she was in the bathroom, but the only sound in his apartment was his own breathing and the traffic noise from the streets below.</b></p><p>
  <b>His memory from the evening was very fuzzy - he had gone out with Callista, they went to Bengal Tiger and drank several bottles of wine, they came back here, they smoked, and--</b>
</p><p>
  <b> <em>SWEET FUCKING NORNS!</em> </b>
</p><p>
  <b>Loki sat bolt upright in bed, his heart and head suddenly pounding. He broke out in a cold sweat as a sinking feeling began to take over.</b>
</p><p><b>He’d told her. He’d revealed his identity. He’d done </b> <b> <em>magic </em> </b> <b>in front of her - oh he was SO FUCKED! Loki scrambled out of bed, still completely naked, and ran around his house looking for his phone, finally finding it in his interdimensional storage, in his pants pockets.</b></p><p>
  <b>No missed calls. No texts. Callista had bailed and hadn’t said anything. Nothing at all.</b>
</p><p>
  <b> <em>Shit…</em> </b>
</p><p>
  <b>He magically dressed himself in slacks and an Oxford shirt, shoved his phone in his pocket, and began to panic pack. He grabbed all his equipment, any clothing he felt an affinity for, the pictures he was most proud of. He grabbed his favorite mug and his last bag of his favorite coffee from the independent brewer down the road...he wouldn’t be able to go back there again. He started throwing it all in his interdimensional storage, mind spinning about how he would disappear without a trace, trying to figure out where he would go, how he would get there using what transportation options that were available.</b>
</p><p>
  <b>He had just about settled on a greyhound bus to Los Angeles when he stopped digging through his clothes in the pocket - Callista’s lingerie was there, hanging like it belonged there. His brain froze, staring at the emerald green undergarments, remembering how she had smiled and laughed and...everything else…</b>
</p><p><b>Maybe...could she possibly have not...</b> <b> <em>DID</em> </b> <b> she alert the authorities?</b></p><p>
  <b>It suddenly dawned on him that he had never considered she wouldn’t. But the way she’d reacted last night - at least, in all the flashes of memories he could access - she didn’t hate him. She wasn’t afraid. She had begged him to fuck her and called him “my prince…”</b>
</p><p>
  <b>He thought about calling her, but the idea made him so nervous he almost vomited. So, out of desperation, he instead pulled out the hand-me-down scrying kit his mother had given him when he was an adolescent. It had been centuries since he’d used it - Frigga had always done the scrying in their family, and he wasn’t especially adept at it. Still, it was better than any other idea he had, so he cleared his coffee table and his mind, and tried to see-in on what she was doing.</b>
</p><p>
  <b>After several failed attempts, he finally got a clear visual. She was pacing around her apartment, nervously wringing her hands. Loki was surprised to see her living quarters were quite bare; there was a couch and a television, and her room had a bed and a nightstand. But otherwise, every inch was either bare or had some kind of clothing or make-up storage in it. It looked like she had started loading her dishwasher, started folding a basket of clothes, started cooking a Lean Cuisine in her microwave but left it there...everything remained half-finished. And after a while, when she finally sat on her couch in an oversize t-shirt and pajama pants, looking more harrowed than he’d ever seen her, staring at the television with glazed-over eyes...he couldn’t take it anymore.</b>
</p><p>
  <b>It broke his heart.</b>
</p><p>
  <b>He threw the scrying crystal across the room and cried, pulling at his hair.</b>
</p><p>
  <b>But in just a few hours, he was at it again. He HAD to see her, to see if she was doing any better yet. When he was able to get a visual, she was still sitting on her couch, her laptop on her thighs, scrolling through images of him, at the Battle of New York. The tabs at the top of her browser also showed pages looking up the after-effects of being drugged, other artists who went by the name “Loki Laufeyson,” and how to contact the FBI anonymously. That last one almost did him in.</b>
</p><p><b>Again, he stopped immediately, unable to bear the guilt and shame of </b> <b> <em>what he was</em> </b> <b>.</b></p><p>
  <b>But the next day, after almost no sleep...he had to see her. Had to know what she was doing. The authorities hadn’t broken down his door, which meant she hadn’t gone to them. Yet. He had to know why.</b>
</p><p>
  <b>He caught her on a call with someone, and after a few minutes of listening in, he could deduce that it was her mother. She was talking about a date - their date - and how it hadn’t gone the way she’d expected. How she “learned some history” about the guy and wasn’t sure how to process it. How she missed him...how she was afraid of what talking to him again might mean. How she still felt something for him but didn’t know if the revelation was a dealbreaker. But never, not once, did she out him.</b>
</p><p><b>She hadn’t told the authorities. She hadn’t even told her </b> <b> <em>mother</em> </b> <b>. She had kept his secret a secret.</b></p><p>
  <b>That was when he knew he had to see her again. In person. By any means necessary.</b>
</p><p> </p><p>By the third day, Callista caved and decided to call Lane. She didn’t know what to do with herself anymore and she had to talk to someone. When she called her mom, she hadn’t been able to bring herself to really say what was wrong or why she was upset. And though her mother tried to be comforting, she couldn’t help but remind Callista, once again, that ‘a career that revolves around being in your underwear might attract the wrong type of men.’</p><p>
  <em> Thanks, Mom. </em>
</p><p>For two days, Callista had tried to work it out, make sense of it all in her head and decide what was real or not real. It was like a game to her “real or not real.” She asked herself over and over. At one point, she decided she was going to pretend none of it had happened at all, that the date had never occurred, and she had never met that photographer. So she checked her email, ready to contact her agent to see about scheduling more bookings. She was surprised to see an email from Lux, inviting her to do a shoot in Paris next month, hinting that if things went well, it would also secure her a ticket to Fashion Week.</p><p>This was the chance of a lifetime and Callista should have been thrilled.</p><p>She felt nothing at all. Until she read the next email.</p><p>It was a reminder about a gallery event she’d been invited to. It was part showcase, part benefit, all to raise funds for local art programs, and hosted by the New York City Association for Print Media and Photography. She’d already RSVPd yes. And she had been working on building up the nerve to ask <em> him </em> to go with her. The email reminded her the event was in less than a week, and for some reason the idea filled her with dread. She imagined herself there, all dressed up in evening wear, thinking the whole time about him and how a week ago she would have been over-the-moon to have him as her date.</p><p>So she slammed her laptop shut and called Lane.</p><p>“Wow,” Lane exclaimed, answering on the second ring. “You owe me so many drinks for making me wait THREE WHOLE DAYS to hear about this date.”</p><p>Callista tried to speak, but her throat was suddenly tight, she couldn’t quite seem to get enough air. She made a small, quiet hitching sound in her chest.</p><p>“...Callista?”</p><p>“Lane?” It came out like a question, her voice catching as she started to cry.</p><p>“Oh my God what happened. Are you okay?</p><p>“Yes. No. I don’t know…”</p><p>Callista could practically hear Lane puffing herself up on the other end of the call. “Did that fucker hurt you? Did he do something to you? I swear to God, Cal--”</p><p>“No, no. He didn’t, not like that.”</p><p>Lane was silent for a few seconds while Callista cried.</p><p>“Sweetie...I’m so sorry. I know how much you were looking forward to this. Do you want me to come over?”</p><p>“Yes, please.” Callista hated how pathetic she sounded, even to Lane, but she couldn’t stop the sob that escaped with the words.</p><p>“I can be there in….probably 30 minutes? Maybe 40 if there’s traffic. You need to do something. When was the last time you showered?”</p><p>“Um...I don’t know, maybe, um--”</p><p>“Okay that’s perfect. Go take a shower. That will give you something to do while I’m on my way.</p><p>“Okay.” Callista nodded to the phone even though Lane couldn’t see her.</p><p>“Callista...it’s going to be okay. I’ll be there soon.”</p><p>~</p><p>An hour later, Callista and Lane were huddled on the couch, tucked in with all the spare blankets in the apartment. Lane had come prepared with booze and snacks, and although she brought some of the “healthy” snacks Callista usually tortured herself with (like baked potato chips or rice cakes), when Callista went right for the Doritos without even looking at the package to see how many calories they were, Lane swore loudly that this must be really fucked up and immediately called for a pizza delivery.</p><p>Callista was trying to build up the nerve to tell Lane the whole story, everything she remembered. It seemed impossible to say it out loud. Ridiculous, even.</p><p>“Okay, so it seems like dinner went fine, you had a nice time, maybe drank a little too much wine, but who doesn’t on occasion,” Lane said, gesturing with her own glass of Chianti. “And then you went back to his house, smoked a little and then….?”</p><p>“And then he...we...well actually it was really funny at first, we were hysterical, but that’s not, that isn’t…”</p><p>Callista stood up, wringing her hands as she paced in front of the couch.</p><p>“Look. I just need you to hear me out because I need to talk to someone about this and I know it is going to sound crazy okay? I know that. I know that <em> okay? </em>” She said the last bit a little more forcefully than she intended and Lane’s eyebrows shot up over her glasses.</p><p>Lane made a placating gesture with her hand. “Cal...just tell me what happened.”</p><p>“So we smoked, we started talking about food, then he started talking about his past again, like at dinner, but this time he was saying different things. And then...okay well then he told me he was Loki, like <em> the </em> Loki. Of Asgard, Battle of New York Loki. Thor’s brother, Loki. And I thought it was the funniest thing I ever heard but then he did magic in front of me. He made another one of himself appear, he did magic on my clothes, and when he told me, it all seemed so clear, like, of <em> course </em> he is <em> the </em>Loki. So either he is actually the psychotic, murderous tyrant who tried to take over our planet, or he drugged me and I had a bad trip.”</p><p>The whole time she spoke, Callista kept glancing at Lane’s face, looking for any sign of wanting to bail, but Lane just watched her intently, brows furrowed as she listened.</p><p>“The thing is,” Callista continued sitting down again, “I don’t think he drugged me. I don’t think I hallucinated that.”</p><p>Lane was silent for a moment, staring thoughtfully into her wine glass before setting it down. “Alright. I know you don’t think you were drugged, and if you were that is obviously horrible and we will get to that, but let’s just look at the options logically. He can’t be <em> the </em> Loki. It doesn’t make sense. All that power and he’s just chillin’ in NYC, back at the scene of the crime, posing as some photographer? Callista, you know how many ‘Loki’ wannabes there are now. He’s the ultimate baddie, and the fact that he actually looks like a god/prince instead of some ruddy old dude with bad teeth...just makes him irresistible for posers. They all want a piece of that infamy. Hell, you know The Laufeysons have become one of my favorite bands!”</p><p>Callista put her head in her hands. “I know Lane. I know. Believe me I’ve spent the past three days having the same conversation with myself. But there are just some things that don’t line up...or rather it’s the other way around. There are some things that just make so much more sense now. Little things. And now when I look at his picture, I can see that it’s him. I never could before. But now I can. I think he did some kind of magic on me.”</p><p>“Hold up, what do you mean?”</p><p>Pulling her laptop off the coffee table, Callista opened a Google doc where she had pasted two pictures side-by-side. One was Loki’s photographer headshot, the one on his website and that he used sometimes on promotional materials. The other was a picture of Loki in Germany, a viral picture of him standing with his horned helmet, looking down his nose at the humans cowering before him. It seemed so obvious now, even with the tone of the images so different. That same superiority, same dominance, and, dare she say it, same mischief seemed to shine in his eyes, emanate from the way he held himself.</p><p>“I don’t understand what I’m supposed to be seeing. Is this supposed to be the same guy?”</p><p>“It is the same guy. The same face, at least.”</p><p>Lane pointed to the screen. “This is Loki the photographer, the guy you’ve been working with for over a year.” Callista nodded and Lane moved her finger to hover over the second photo. “And this is Loki of Asgard, who brought an alien army to New York.” Callista nodded again.</p><p>“They aren’t the--”</p><p>“They ARE the same!” Callista cried, snatching her laptop back. “Look. Everyone on the planet knows what the real Loki looks like. Not all the photos and footage of him from the attack are clear, but everyone knows. Close your eyes, right now. You can picture him, right?”</p><p>Lane shuddered but nodded. “Of course. I would know him anywhere.”</p><p>“That is exactly my point. You wouldn’t possibly mistake this guy for someone else. And I never, not once in all our sessions, not once in all the times I sat here looking at his photo,” Callista knew she was blushing now but it was Lane and she was getting angry and she didn’t care, “not once did I ever think they were the same. Until now. Until he...told me...showed me. He did something so that now I would see...this is the same guy.”</p><p>“Are you saying he looks different from this picture? Am I seeing a different face than you are seeing?”</p><p>“That’s the thing. It’s still his face. It’s the same face! But it’s like now my brain is allowed to make the connection when it wasn’t before.”</p><p>Lane rested her chin on her fist and was silent for so long that Callista thought her heart might just pound right out of her chest with anticipation.</p><p>She couldn’t take the silence any longer. “Well?!”</p><p>Lane looked Callista in the eyes searchingly before she said, “I don’t think you are crazy.”</p><p>“So you believe it’s him?”</p><p>“I didn’t say that,” laughed Lane, picking up her wine and swallowing it the rest of it in one huge gulp. “Shouldn’t that pizza be here by now?”</p><p>“Lane!”</p><p>“You know we have to call the police, right? Or the FBI or SHIELD or whatever? Even just as a precaution?”</p><p>“I thought about it. A few times.”</p><p>“So if you really think it’s him, why didn’t you?”</p><p>“I just…” Callista trailed off, thinking about all the things he said, about the regretful way he spoke about what he did, about how he longed for his home, about his tears…</p><p>“I just don’t want to. Not yet.”</p><p>Lane’s eyebrows once again shot up. “And why the hell not?”</p><p>Callista looked at the two photos on her laptop. They were clearly pictures of the same man, but somehow she didn’t think they were pictures of the same <em> person </em>. In her gut, in her heart she felt that something was different between the man who would have conquered her world and the man who had held her all night making love to her.</p><p>“Ah,” Lane sighed softly. “I see now. This isn’t just a crush. You really fell for him. Even now, you still have feelings for him.”</p><p>Callista closed her eyes as a few tears silently rolled down her cheek. “I never learn, do I?”</p><p>She felt Lane move closer to her on the couch, putting her arms around her. “Look, I don’t know exactly what is going on here, but this isn’t a repeat of Christopher, okay? Don’t go there, don’t think about that scumbag fiancé. These situations are nothing alike and neither one is your fault. We aren’t even sure what the truth is here.”</p><p>Lane pulled back, hands resting on Callista’s shoulders. “We need more information. Hell, what if you both had a bad trip and he’s just some normal guy that was blabbing about Loki and now he’s wondering where his hot date went?”</p><p>Callista laughed in spite of herself. But Lane pressed on. “And if this had nothing to do with the drugs at all, and he is telling the truth, I think the real question is...why did he choose you? Why would he choose to tell you this secret, knowing you could out him? He didn’t hunt you down and murder you because you ‘know too much,’ and if he really is <em>the</em> Loki, he could have done that in a heartbeat, right?”</p><p>“Yeah...I guess that’s true,” Callista said, mind turning over the question. Why would the real Loki ask her out to dinner and reveal his identity to her? Suddenly she felt like she had to know the answer to that, even though she was terrified to see him again. </p><p>Lane’s phone gave her a notification that the pizza delivery was here, and she got up to meet them downstairs. “I think there’s more to this story.”</p><p>Callista looked back at the two photographs, at the green eyes she had come to know so well. </p><p>“Yeah...I guess I think so too.”</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>Loki hadn’t left his couch in three days, except to relieve himself and get other things he needed for his set-up on his coffee table. There were food containers, empty drinking bottles, papers, notebooks, pens and pencils, his laptop set off to the side, extra crystals strewn about...his normally fastidious upkeep had been left to the wayside as he obsessed over his scrying.</b>
</p><p>
  <b>Norns, he had never scryed so much in his life. His seidr was actually feeling drained from it, but he couldn’t stop. He had forgotten what the world outside his apartment and his studio was like.</b>
</p><p><b>Though most of his time was focused on Calli, when she was sleeping (and he was sure she was safe and completely unconscious), he checked on Thor. He was still running around with those meathead idiot mortal friends of his, “saving the world.” He </b> <b> <em>hated</em> </b> <b> the Avengers with so much bile-fueled disgust that even seeing them in his scrying made him turn away with his stomach flipping. If he ever saw that fucking </b> <b> <em>Bruce Banner/Green Asshole</em> </b> <b> again at any point in the rest of his long life, it would be too soon. And the smugness of Tony Stark could only be matched by...well, him. The old him. But not now...not anymore. Regardless...it gave him some comfort knowing that Thor was still keeping himself occupied with petty peacekeeping and was NOT on the throne of Asgard. If that changed...Loki might have to make some other plans rather quickly.</b></p><p>
  <b>Reluctantly, he also decided to check on Frigga. He missed his mother dearly, but had no way to reach out to her without triggering Heimdall or, gods forbid, the Allfather into realizing he had done so. Fortunately, scrying wouldn’t raise any alarms...but he regretted it immediately. Seeing her graceful form walking around the gardens of her home - HIS home - broke his heart so thoroughly and quickly that he dropped the crystal and grabbed his chest from the pain of it, tears immediately falling from his eyes.</b>
</p><p>
  <b>So he went back to watching Calli.</b>
</p><p><b>He had to find that opportunity to see her again, knowing she wouldn’t want to meet him. And he got his answer with the fundraiser email she’d opened - it would be easy enough to get in there, and if things went south he would be able to leave without too much attention being drawn to himself. But the email before, about the Paris shoot...Norns, that was </b> <b> <em>huge!</em> </b> <b> He was thrilled for her...and her lack of reaction stabbed his heart all over again. He felt like such a cad, having thrown this burden of his identity on her like this.</b></p><p>
  <b>The night with Lane was harrowing, to say the least...she had outed him, and Lane hadn’t immediately panicked. He realized at that point that perhaps, someday, he might like to meet her friend - it wasn’t often a mortal was so open-minded and level-headed at the same time.</b>
</p><p>
  <b>And then…</b>
</p><p>
  <b> <em>“You know we have to call the police, right? Or the FBI or SHIELD or whatever? Even just as a precaution?”</em> </b>
</p><p>
  <b> <em>“I thought about it. A few times.”</em> </b>
</p><p>
  <b> <em>“So if you really think it’s him, why didn’t you?”</em> </b>
</p><p>
  <b> <em>“I just…I just don’t want to. Not yet.”</em> </b>
</p><p>
  <b> <em>“And why the hell not?”</em> </b>
</p><p>
  <b>Loki STARED at her through the invisible scrying mirror, hardly able to believe it. The look on Calli’s face, that struggle, that...affection? Her hesitance said it all...there was something more she felt for him than just fear and confusion. And it made his heart nearly explode.</b>
</p><p><b>And then hearing about that man named “Christopher,” the “scumbag fiancé”...oh, his blood boiled. Calli had nearly been married before, and that complete-shithead-he-had-never-heard-of-before had done something to traumatize her. He half-debated scrying on THAT asshole just to see how he could make his life more miserable just for hurting his sweet Calli (</b> <b> <em>his</em> </b> <b> sweet Calli...oh dear, he was getting far too involved from afar), but he had more important things to focus on.</b></p><p>
  <b>That gala was only a few days away. And he had some scheming to do.</b>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0008"><h2>8. Chapter 8</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Champagne and solemn vows.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>At least the champagne was good.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>That’s what Callista told herself as she walked from room to room in the gallery, occasionally waving or having a quick hello with someone she knew from the industry. She was still feeling on edge from the previous week, and though Lane had spent the night on Tuesday, going so far as calling out of work the next day to comfort her, she didn’t enjoy the glamour and splendor with her usual sybaritic enthusiasm. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Though, truth be told, the day at the spa yesterday and salon this morning had done wonders toward making her feel some semblance of normalcy. As it was, Callista felt she had pulled herself together quite nicely--at least on the outside. Her designer gown was pale silver, with only the slightest hint of a shimmer to it. The long sleeves and high neck kept her warm enough in the large, open space of the gallery to compensate for the thigh-high slit in the front of the gown, and the completely open back. She thought it brought out the gray in her eyes.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She’d had her hair and makeup done professionally at the salon, deciding on a hairstyle that pinned and piled all of her long curls over one shoulder, the better to show off the exposure of her back, clearly the selling point of the dress. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>And though she knew she looked good, knew from the looks she was getting from more than a few men in the room that she looked </span>
  <em>
    <span>quite </span>
  </em>
  <span>good, in fact, Lane had practically forced her away and into the gallery at the press entrance.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Callista, go inside. Have some champagne and fancy food that looks like it belongs in a doll’s house. You’ll be fine!” She grabbed Callista by the arm, marching her through the doors, her press badge swinging around her neck. “Honestly you need a good distraction right now. Let tonight be it. Try to enjoy yourself.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She hadn’t let Callista protest any further, or talk her into using her for more photos-- ”Honestly, my editor is already going to know something is up because we got too many of you to be reasonable. I need my photographer to get pictures of other guests, and I need to do some interviewing!”-- so Callista put her game face on and pretended that she didn’t feel lonely and anxious in the crowded room.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Callista! </span>
  <em>
    <span>Ma petite bijou</span>
  </em>
  <span>, there you are!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Callista had hardly turned when she was being pulled into the arms of Lux, who quickly dispatched a double kiss upon her cheeks. “Lux! I didn’t know you were going to be here! I thought you were back in Paris already.” She beamed at the little woman, feeling genuine relief to see a friendly face, and eyeing the tall man at the photographer’s side.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The woman waved a heavily jeweled hand in the air. “I had to push back my flight for some work. And then this </span>
  <em>
    <span>charmant diable </span>
  </em>
  <span>took full advantage, seducing me into a collaborative project.” Lux gestured to the man at her side, who was dressed like he was being sponsored by Gucci to be there, his warm brown eyes looking at Callista with some interest. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ah, </span>
  <em>
    <span>pardonnez-moi</span>
  </em>
  <span>. Introductions. Callista, this is Aiden Saint James, a photographer from Los Angeles who has been making quite the splash in New York City for the past six months. Aiden, this is Callista Dupont, the model I’ve been telling you about. The work she did with me last week was </span>
  <em>
    <span>exceptionnelle</span>
  </em>
  <span>!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The man extended his hand, which was pleasantly warm and rather large. “Very pleased to meet you, Callista.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Thank you, me too.” Callista smiled up at the new photographer, noticing the way </span>
  <em>
    <span>his</span>
  </em>
  <span> smile crinkled his eyes in such a way that made her want to smile even more broadly in return.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I was so hoping you would be here tonight, </span>
  <em>
    <span>ma chérie</span>
  </em>
  <span>. I wanted to introduce you to Aiden. His photography is </span>
  <em>
    <span>magnifique</span>
  </em>
  <span>, and I truly believe your styles would match well together.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Callista eyed Aiden with some renewed interest. “What sort of photography do you do?” Before answering, Aiden grabbed a fresh glass of champagne from a waiter passing by, trading it with Callista’s near empty one, before grabbing another for Lux and finally one for himself.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well, I dabble in some mixed fields. I’m interested in juxtapositions between the wild of the natural world, and the intimate and domestic fabricated human existence.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Really?” Callista said, stepping closer without realizing it. “That sounds so fascinating. I guess this means you do a lot of outdoor shoots?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“He has the most amazing series of musicians in the woods. It sounds silly, but they are brilliant. You must show her, Aiden.” Lux nudged his arm, gesturing wordlessly to his pocket so he would take out his phone.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Aiden looked at Callista apologetically. “I don’t want to--”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s okay,” Callista smiled at him. “I’d like to see them.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ah, but there is Mademoiselle Kirchhoff. Please excuse me! Aiden, do not walk away from Miss Dupont without getting her agent’s contact information!” Lux gave them both another round of kisses before hurrying off.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Aiden stepped closer to Callista, showing her the photos on his phone, the sleeve of his suit jacket brushing lightly against her shoulder. The photos were wonderfully bizarre, beautiful and intriguing with just a hint of the uncanny, and Callista had the impression she was looking at art that would come from a collaboration between Tim Burton and Claude Monet. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She looked up at Aiden, incredulously. “These are fantastic! I’ve never seen photos like these!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Aiden blushed slightly, running a hand through his short blonde</span>
  <span> hair. “Thank you. I’m just drawn to this weird in-between of styles. I can’t seem to produce anything else. It’s been well received so far though.” He shrugged, running his hand through his hair again in what was apparently a nervous gesture for him. “I would love to consider a collaboration with you though, if you’d be interested? Lux spoke so highly of you this past week.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Callista pulled one of her cards out of her clutch purse and handed it to him. “I would love to. You can contact my agent with that number to arrange something. Do you have any other series you’d care to show me?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“If you really want to, yes. Why don’t we go sit down? There are some tables in the next room by the buffet. We can get more comfortable. Those shoes look...let’s say impressive.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Callista laughed, brushing her hand over his arm to steady herself. “That’s a very nice way to put it. But yes, sitting for a bit would be nice. I’m just going to use the restroom.” She gestured to her now second empty glass. “Save me a seat?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He nodded with a smile, turning for the other room. Callista quickly headed for the bathroom, feeling some of her earlier apprehension lifting. It had been worth it to force herself out tonight for the networking if nothing else. Work would keep her busy, which was what she needed right now. Like Lane said. A distraction. </span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Just enjoy the night. Don’t think about...him. Not right now</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>“Hello, Calli.”</b>
</p><p>
  <b>Loki leaned on the wall near her, cutting her off before she made it to the ladies room. He knew she’d have to come by here eventually. He’d been listening in to her conversations since she’d arrived, more for his own curiosity than for fear she might say something about him. But when he saw that tall, strapping </b>
  <b>
    <em>blonde</em>
  </b>
  <b> photographer leaning into her and showing off what he could only assume was </b>
  <b>
    <em>his work</em>
  </b>
  <b>...he knew he had to intervene, and quickly.</b>
</p><p>
  <b>Looking up, he met her eyes, trying to hide how his stomach turned in knots when she saw him.</b>
</p><p>
  <b>He stepped forward, his all-black suit seeming to absorb the light around him as he delicately took a casual sip from his dirty martini, hair tied back in its usual green silk ribbon. The lapels of the jacket were inlaid with gold embroidery that were just flashy enough to be fashionable without appearing gaudy. And he really HAD tried to dress up tonight, if only to fit in. EVERYONE was dressed to the nines, and he needed to at least match their glamor.</b>
</p><p>
  <b>“Enjoying the gala, hm?”</b>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Callista froze when she saw him. All of her muscles seized up and she felt like the air was pressed from her lungs.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She had thought about what it might be like to see him again, because of course she had. Never, in her wildest imaginings, had she anticipated this.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>When she thought of seeing him, she imagined seeing </span>
  <em>
    <span>her </span>
  </em>
  <span>Loki, Loki the artist who was confident, witty, professional, somewhat reclusive. A Loki that had some shred of tenderness inside him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>That was not who stood before her  now. She was such a fool. How had she never seen it before? His presence before her was like a physical force. Dominance and....magic?...seemed to radiate from him in waves. He was so very clearly not human, so entirely, magnificently </span>
  <em>
    <span>other</span>
  </em>
  <span>.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Instinctively her eyes darted around the room. There were a few people looking at photographs along the opposite wall by the windows. But did that make her safe? Would he kill her right now with witnesses? That never seemed to bother him before but maybe he would drag her away, leave her body outside by the dumpster for the kitchen crew to find when they took out the trash for the night. Then again, history told her he liked to make a scene, and the look on his face right now, the false charm of a smile that didn’t reach his eyes, terrified her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Her lip trembled, and she thought of Lane downstairs with the press, interviewing and photographing guests but also probably worrying about her the whole time. She thought of Lux floating through the crowd from person to person like a butterfly, and Aiden with her card in his hand, waiting alone at a table to show her more of his work, and for some reason the thought made her terribly sad. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She swallowed, voice barely a whisper. “Are you going to kill me now?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>“</b>
  <b>
    <em>What</em>
  </b>
  <b>?!”</b>
</p><p>
  <b>His eyes narrowed and he came closer, leaning in to ensure only she would hear him.</b>
</p><p>
  <b>“I’m not— I would never— Calli, I only came to </b>
  <b>
    <em>talk…</em>
  </b>
  <b>”</b>
</p><p>
  <b>He tried to hide the hurt in his voice like he did on his face, but even he wasn’t convinced.</b>
</p><p>
  <b>“I knew you would block me if I tried to call or text. So here we are, at an event you RSVP’d for, an event you came to with a friend, an event where many people here know and recognize you, in public, </b>
  <b>
    <em>safe</em>
  </b>
  <b>. The fact that I even came out to this buzzing swarm of couture ass-kissers should give you some indication of how much I need— you just left that morning, and I’ve been... You didn’t even say goodbye.”</b>
</p><p>
  <b>He closed his eyes and forced himself to calm down, taking a breath.</b>
</p><p>
  <b>“That’s twice now.”</b>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Why do you even care?” She hissed back, anger and adrenaline spiking together to give her courage. “Why do you care if I left without saying goodbye if you’re really—if it’s true...” She looked at him searchingly, almost beseechingly. “You’re saying it’s true? You’re really....</span>
  <em>
    <span>him</span>
  </em>
  <span>? It wasn’t the drugs? I didn’t imagine...” she trailed off, not knowing what else to say.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>“Yes, Calli, it’s true,” he said curtly, keeping his voice down. “I...I let my guard down, alright? I shouldn’t have told you - I shouldn’t have revealed my identity. Is that what you want to hear?”</b>
</p><p>
  <b>Loki realized he was getting agitated, and he moved away, taking another deep breath to steel his nerves.</b>
</p><p>
  <b>“I’ve been panicking for the last week thinking I’m going to have to run and start over again, wondering when SHIELD or the Avengers or the FBI or any number of organizations were going to come knock down my door and force me to fight my way out...”</b>
</p><p>
  <b>He held her gaze, hoping he could get through to her, that she would understand he was not a threat to her.</b>
</p><p>
  <b>And trying very hard not to reveal that he had been spying on her the whole time...</b>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Her mind reeled with his confession. This was it. The truth at last. She’d eaten enough of the little hors d’oeuvres that the two glasses of champagne were hardly affecting her, so she could trust herself, at least in this moment. But still...the doubt. The sheer impossibility, improbability of this weighed on her. If only Lane were here right now. She would know the right questions to ask and what to say. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Callista had to know. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Prove it.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>“Prove that I’ve been a wreck since you left? Prove that I’ve been afraid of losing everything that I’ve built in the last nine years to create something of a life? Prove that this </b>
  <b>
    <em>entire </em>
  </b>
  <b>week has been nothing but me worrying that you might </b>
  <b>
    <em>out </em>
  </b>
  <b>me to someone? What do you need me to prove, Callista?”</b>
</p><p>
  <b>His tone was sharp, but it was fueled by desperation, not anger.</b>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>I’ve been a wreck since you left...I’ve been afraid of losing everything that I’ve built in the last nine years to create something of a life...this entire week has been nothing but me worrying that you might out me to someone...</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>It was too much for Callista to process right now.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No, I...I mean prove that you’re really him.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>“</b>
  <b>
    <em>Here</em>
  </b>
  <b>?!” he almost hissed, looking around. No one seemed to notice their somewhat heated conversation, and he again tried to breathe some calm into himself before continuing.</b>
</p><p>
  <b>“I can’t do anything </b>
  <b>
    <em>here </em>
  </b>
  <b>that would prove the truth to you - I can’t risk it, especially now. Surely you understand...”</b>
</p><p>
  <b>He looked in her eyes, searching them, hoping beyond hope that something he could say would repair their relationship.</b>
</p><p>
  <b>“Can you trust me, Calli?”</b>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Trust you? TRUST YOU?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She looked at him, mouth hanging open at his audacity.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What I can't understand is, if you’re really...</span>
  <em>
    <span>him</span>
  </em>
  <span>,” she stumbled over the word, still not quite able to bring herself to say his name. “Why on Earth do you care? Why do you care if I trust you, which, I mean honestly, how could I?—why did you want to talk? You can’t possibly want anything from me other than to ensure I don’t reveal your identity. If you’re really him you could do that with magic. Put a spell on me so I can't speak about it or wipe my memory? Something like that?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She folded her arms, shaking her head. “I don’t understand why you needed to talk to me, or even see me again, at all.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>“Because...”</b>
</p><p>
  <b>Loki stopped, watching her. His heart was pounding so loud he could hear it in his ears. Did their history together mean nothing anymore? It’s not like he was a different person than the one she’d gotten to know, that had shared her thoughts and her body. </b>
</p><p>
  <b>“...because you’re more than just a random person to me, Calli. More than a work contact. More than an acquaintance...”</b>
</p><p>
  <b>He turned and walked away, running his fingers through his hair with nerves and frustration. Then he looked back at her, the tears just barely staying in his eyes.</b>
</p><p>
  <b>“Do you realize you are the only person I’ve revealed myself to? In nine years? You don’t think that means something?”</b>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yes, and you just admitted it was a mistake! ‘I let my guard down, I shouldn’t have told you.’” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Tears began to well in her eyes as she shook her head. “I thought a lot of things meant something. Between us. I thought--”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She blinked rapidly up at the ceiling. This was not the night to ruin her eye-make up. There were literally photographers everywhere. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I don’t know what to think. I need a minute.” She pushed past him into the bathroom, surprised when he let her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Blessedly, the restroom was completely empty. Callista leaned against the wall for a moment, taking a few deep breaths. She felt completely overwhelmed. Most of all, she felt thrown by the sincerity of his appeal. He seemed...hurt by her behavior, almost vulnerable. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Unbidden in her mind came the image of the two of them in his apartment, tears on his cheeks as he remorsefully confessed his past, his worst regrets and fears, his longing to go home. She had the strangest feeling that </span>
  <em>
    <span>that </span>
  </em>
  <span>was actually, the real Loki. Not the photographer, not the megalomaniac, and not the person outside who was trying to be some hybrid of the two.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Her heart filled with a painful, terrible sort of longing that she resented immediately. She didn’t </span>
  <em>
    <span>want </span>
  </em>
  <span>to want him. She didn’t want to be in this position.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She wanted the truth.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And maybe, just maybe, with the truth...something more. She always seemed to want more when it came to him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>By the time she was washing her hands and meticulously checking that her make-up was still perfectly in place, Callista had made up her mind.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He was leaning against the opposite wall, looking for all the world like a man ready to go into battle instead of talking to a defenseless, human woman.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Loki.” She said his name finally, quietly. He turned at once, eyes wary, searching her face.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I don’t know what to believe. I still only half believe you’re who you claim to be--the improbability of it….” she sighed, shoulders sagging.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“If what we had between us, the chemistry or...whatever you want to call it. If that was real, if that meant something to you, then I’m going to need answers. And a time to talk where we aren’t worried about being overheard. But--” she stopped him before he could interrupt her, “I’m afraid to be alone with you. Right now. I can’t trust you just like that, after all this. You need to earn that back. You need to prove it, all of it.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>Loki froze, locked with her in this place and time. At one point in his life, he would have looked at her as nothing more than a mere mortal, a lesser lifeform that needed to be subdued and led to best utilize its capabilities. But that time felt so long ago...almost dreamlike in its disconnection. He barely related to the person he was just a decade before - angry and brash and hurting so badly that he would do anything to feel like he could control some of that pain...even ally with a true monster.</b>
</p><p>
  <b>But after nine years of isolation...nine years of hiding and fear and loneliness, worse than the solitary confinement he'd endured with Thanos...he was ready to go back to something like life. He was ready to discover who he was in this environment, with the people who populated his reality. This </b>
  <b>
    <em>was </em>
  </b>
  <b>his world now, and as small and mundane as it might be...it was all he had. And it was so much better than some of the other things he'd experienced. </b>
  <b>
    <em>Calli </em>
  </b>
  <b>was so much better than so many things he'd experienced.</b>
</p><p>
  <b>"I will," he said solemnly. "Tell me what you need. I'll do it."</b>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>His immediate, serious agreement took Callista by surprise. She expected at least some measure of objection, of trying to reason with her. Instead, he spoke the words with the solemnity of a vow.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“I will. Tell me what you need. I’ll do it.”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>There really must be something magic about him, she thought, because she felt drawn to him like he had his own gravitational force. Even now, in her fear and uncertainty, she couldn’t stop herself from stepping closer. His hands were hanging loosely at his sides. The urge to brush her fingers against his nearly overpowered her, but she managed to stop herself just short of doing it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Tomorrow. Can we meet tomorrow? Bethesda Terrace in Central Park. Two o’clock.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>"Yes. Absolutely. Tomorrow at two o' clock."</b>
</p><p>
  <b>He couldn't turn away from her. Norns, he wanted to kiss her, to pull her close and hold her in his arms. He wanted that easy, comfortable intimacy they had just started exploring before the truth ruined everything.</b>
</p><p>
  <b>
    <em>No...you can't think about it that way. If you want to keep her, she deserves the truth. All of it.</em>
  </b>
</p><p>
  <b>With a sigh, he started to turn away, to let her get back to her evening of...whatever it was she wanted to do. That strange possessiveness he felt had no right to be there - despite how it rankled, he resisted the urge to try and explain himself to her more now, so he could have her sooner. That she was giving him a chance at all was a small miracle in itself, and he wasn't going to ruin it.</b>
</p><p>
  <b>"I'll be there. See you then."</b>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Wait—“ she said, stopping him before he could leave. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Did she want him to stay? Why did she want him to stay?!</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Thank you,” she said quietly as she stepped up to him. “And...I would like my boots back, please.” A small smirk twitched the corner of her lip as she said it.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>Loki’s heart nearly burst with excitement when she made that cheeky comment. He looked at her, surprised but cautious, wondering if she might already be feeling more ingratiated by his earnest behavior.</b>
</p><p>
  <b>Still, she walked away, back into the throngs of people at the gala, leaving Loki standing by himself once again.</b>
</p><p>
  <b>But this time, he had hope.</b>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0009"><h2>9. Chapter 9</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Loki and Callista meet in Central Park. He brings hot chocolate--she brings pepper spray.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <em>
    <span>Tomorrow. Bethesda Terrace in Central Park. Two o’clock</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>This time, Callista arrived first.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She paced along the bottom of one of the grand staircases since it was much too cold to sit down. It was February now, and the temperature outside had plummeted well below the 30s.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Why couldn’t all of this be happening in April?</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Shoving her gloved hands into her coat pockets, she stared out at the frozen fountain where a few tourists were taking pictures. One couple in particular didn’t seem to mind the drab backdrop of the dormant landmark, bare skeletal trees and general gray everything around them. They kissed, the man using his long arms to capture the photo in a selfie. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Callista felt strangely jealous. For a moment she wondered what it would be like meeting Loki here under different circumstances. She imagined the fountain bubbling with life, the summer sun beating down on the red bricks will the grasses and trees around them bursting with greenery, children laughing and people mulling about in every direction. She imagined a different Loki, who was hers, who she could date without the complications of him being anyone other than an eccentric photographer.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Suddenly, she was glad it was winter, that the scenery was somber and somewhat dreary. It was more appropriate. One less thing to tease her about what-might-have-been.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Her phone buzzed in her pocket and she saw it was a text from Lane, checking in on her. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She had met Aiden at the table last night after leaving Loki, apologizing for her delay with some excuse about running into an old friend outside the bathroom and not being able to make a quick exit. She looked at his photos. She agreed to set up a collaboration. She laughed at his jokes. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She thought of Loki the whole time.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>In the end, she left the gala as soon as she could, grabbing Lane on the way back to her apartment and telling her everything.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Still alive. Waiting for him,” Callista texted back.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lane insisted on tracking her phone’s location for this little meeting. She also insisted Callista bring a small can of pepper spray in her coat pocket, which she fingered idly while she waited.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>Loki had been stressing about this moment since yesterday evening, and he had gone ALL OUT.</b>
</p><p>
  <b>He spent hours on his hair, braiding the temples and tying the plaits in the back like he had done  on Asgard for formal ceremonies. He’d added oils and products and used magic so it looked EXACTLY right, and then he’d used every skin product he knew of to give himself a healthy glow.</b>
</p><p>
  <b>He had designed his own clothing from scratch - from the brown leather boots to the tailored blue jeans to the black pea coat with gold inlaid buttons and green embroidery on the sleeves...</b>
</p><p>
  <b>And THE scarf. The one he’d worn in Stuttgart when he’d first made his presence known to the world. It had become an iconic item in the fashion world for several months after the attack, then (as always happened) had become passé, and now it was just starting to make a comeback. He knew she would recognize it for what it was: further, subtle proof that he was, in fact, THE Loki.</b>
</p><p>
  <b>However, by the time he felt he was presentable, he had only a few minutes to get to Central Park.</b>
  <b>
    <br/>
  </b>
  <b>
    <br/>
  </b>
  <b>So he teleported.</b>
</p><p>
  <b>He hurried toward the Bethesda Terrace, scanning the crowd for Callista. It wasn’t especially busy, but in New York it was always difficult to pick out a single person in the crowd. He finally spotted her next to the stairs, and made his way over, hands pushed into his pockets.</b>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The fact that Loki looked more handsome than she had ever seen him did not improve Callista's state of mind as he approached her. He was wearing </span>
  <em>
    <span>that </span>
  </em>
  <span>scarf too, and she wasn't sure if it was meant to impress her or intimidate her, but either way it was doing both.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She clutched the pepper spray in her pocket a little more tightly.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>As he got closer and she saw him, he unintentionally broke out into a wide smile - he hadn’t realized how his nerves had been affecting him! Seeing she was actually here and hadn’t blown him off was a </b>
  <b>
    <em>very </em>
  </b>
  <b>good sign.</b>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He smiled at her, widely, warmly. Smiled at her like they actually were one of those couples meeting up for a stroll on a cold winter day in one of the most beautiful places in the city.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Her heart squeezed.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Keep it together. You are here for answers, not romance!</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hi,” she said somewhat stiffly. “You look very...nice.”</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>You look more like a model than I do, bastard.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>“As do you,” he grinned, finally getting within arms reach. He was tempted to hug her, which was very strange - he normally didn’t like that form of greeting. But of course, Calli bucked all conventions.</b>
</p><p>
  <b>“So, you want to talk, and you want proof. I have an idea.”</b>
</p><p>
  <b>With a smirking grin, he reached behind her ear, and when he brought it back, he had a gold coin in his fingers.</b>
</p><p>
  <b>“Ta-da,” he chuckled, holding it out for her to take. “Magic. I am obviously the God of Mischief.”</b>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She took the coin from him, inspecting it on both sides. She even took off one of her leather gloves to feel the texture of it. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The coin was completely foreign to her, and she had a feeling it was not one that could be found on this planet. She traced her finger over the silhouette of Loki’s face on the one side before putting her glove back on and pocketing it. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You do realize that any magician on earth can pretend to pull out a coin from behind someone’s ear? I’ve even seen children do it.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She started walking, too cold to stand in one place. “I assume the scarf is meant to be ‘proof’ as well?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>He followed after her, catching up in a few long strides. “I figured it wouldn’t hurt. Besides, this scarf is famous. It launched a trend - something I thought you would appreciate as a fellow member of the fashion industry.”</b>
</p><p>
  <b>As he spoke, he cast an illusion of himself to continue walking with her, then made himself invisible and let them move away. He was, of course, able to keep up with and carry on the conversation, but in the meantime, he snuck off to set up his plan.</b>
</p><p>
  <b>As the illusion answered her questions and led her around, he went down to the Pool, to a private picnic spot he’d scouted out earlier that morning. Settling himself down at the table, he waited for them to turn the corner...</b>
</p><p>
  <b>“Surprise, darling.”</b>
</p><p>
  <b>He smiled up at her, sitting at a table with a plethora of cold-weather picnic delights: steaming soup, warm bread, mugs of hot chocolate, and several other comforting side dishes perfect for an outdoor meal in February. He magically heated the area around the table to be perfectly warm without having to remove any layers, and his helm rested in the center of the table, shining gold in the dim light, sitting on a bed of mistletoe.</b>
</p><p>
  <b>He had warded the space ahead of time to ensure they would not be seen or overheard, which was certainly for the best when Calli’s eyes went wide with surprise.</b>
</p><p>
  <b>He thought she might scream. He waited for it...</b>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Callista quickly covered her mouth to hide her gasp, looking back to where Loki had been walking next to her. As she did, the form smiled and, with a wink, dissolved into green light and vanished. She looked back at the table where the </span>
  <em>
    <span>real </span>
  </em>
  <span>Loki sat. It looked...beautiful.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She stepped closer, feeling the air around her ripple with warmth that reached all the way to her numb toes. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>With one finger, she gently prodded the infamous helmet, finding cool solid metal beneath her touch. She shivered slightly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Um, wow. Okay then.” She sat down across from him.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>“‘</b>
  <b>
    <em>Um wow okay then</em>
  </b>
  <b>’? That’s all I get?” He chuckled, handing her a mug of hot chocolate and then ladling out some of the soup into a bowl. He gave it to her and then served himself, sitting comfortably and taking a sip of the savory liquid before addressing her again.</b>
</p><p>
  <b>“So, still have your doubts? Or have I adequately proven myself?”</b>
</p><p>
  <b>His eyes crinkled at the corners while he waited for her answer, thoroughly enjoying the mischief of having surprised her.</b>
</p><p>
  <b>She continued to stare at the helm, and couldn’t help the snort he made. When she glared at him, he feigned innocence.</b>
</p><p>
  <b>“What? Do you want to try it on?”</b>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“No!” Just looking at the thing freaked her out. Made all of this a little </span>
  <em>
    <span>too </span>
  </em>
  <span>real. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She didn’t know what to say. This was more than she expected in so many ways.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I believe you. I believe you’re really him.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Now that she knew the truth, she felt some measure of relief. That doubt that had plagued her for days finally subsided. But then there was still the matter of what she was supposed to do now that she knew. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She cupped the mug of hot chocolate between her hands, staring into the steam. Where did she start now? There were so many things she needed to know, needed to understand if there was any hope....</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Why are you here?” She blurted. “Why are you in New York City pretending to be a photographer, when you can do all this?” She gestured to the table, and then scooted a little further away from the helmet as though it might bite her.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>Loki felt a little badly for how she was reacting. He had done his best to make the “proof” she had asked for </b>
  <b>
    <em>comfortable</em>
  </b>
  <b>, at least. They obviously had much to discuss, and he’d hoped to make it easier on her. And himself.</b>
</p><p>
  <b>The soup was his mother’s recipe...he thought it might help him keep his nerve while Calli grilled him.</b>
</p><p>
  <b>So, taking another sip of soup, he began.</b>
</p><p>
  <b>“I’m here because I figured this would be the last place anyone would look for me. And it would be difficult to find me even if someone found out I was here, what with the millions of people in the city and the DOZENS of artists going by the name Loki Laufeyson. I returned about six months after the attack once I’d decided it was in my best interest to stay, to try and blend in until the ones who are after me assumed I’d gotten away - maybe a century or so. Then, at least, I wouldn’t have to worry about any of the short-lived mortals seeking revenge anymore...”</b>
</p><p>
  <b>He saw the shadow come over her face as he said that, and realized perhaps that particular comment came off as too flippant.</b>
</p><p>
  <b>“Sorry...” he muttered, taking another sip. “I’m terribly out of practice when it comes to being open about who I am. Forgive me if I stumble over harsh words occasionally. I aim for nothing but respect and honesty.”</b>
</p><p>
  <b>When she nodded silently, he continued. “So, I knew I was going to disguise myself as an artist, but the photography was a shock to me. I never realized how much I would thoroughly </b>
  <b>
    <em>enjoy </em>
  </b>
  <b>the art form. In Asgard, there are no photographs, just magically-painted pictures. I adored how I could change the focus and the color and the sharpness and the tone...how I felt like I was expressing myself without giving myself away. And the more I did it, the more recognition my work earned.”</b>
</p><p>
  <b>He leaned forward, looking deeply into her eyes.</b>
</p><p>
  <b>“I’m not </b>
  <b>
    <em>pretending </em>
  </b>
  <b>to be a photographer, Calli. I </b>
  <b>
    <em>AM </em>
  </b>
  <b>a photographer, as much as I am a prince and a sorcerer...and a villain.”</b>
</p><p>
  <b>He huffed, thinking of his magical abilities and how they had affected the course of his life. “I was once one of the greatest sorcerers in the Nine Realms. I’ve traveled between galaxies, fought and defeated enemies you couldn’t imagine...I was the </b>
  <b>
    <em>Allfather</em>
  </b>
  <b>, for Norns’ sake...at least for a bit. And where did it get me? What good did it all do? All that power and magic...that only led me to harm myself and others.”</b>
</p><p>
  <b>He bristled a bit, and took a breath to calm himself. There was no need to get defensive...though he certainly felt like he needed to justify everything he had worked for, despite the magic. And everything he felt...despite the magic.</b>
</p><p>
  <b>“After all I’ve been through...this life, this world, it’s not so bad. If things go my way, I may be able to keep this up for a few centuries. Plenty of things out in the universe are far worse than a small apartment and inconsistent paychecks.”</b>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Callista tilted her head watching him eat his soup. She still hadn’t touched her hot chocolate, but something he said took a weight off her shoulders.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So the photography is real too? That’s not...you don’t use magic to enhance them or make them appear different?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>This possibility had haunted her, imaging that some of the best work in her portfolio was all a fabrication, that she herself was something of a fraud by association.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>His expression softened, and he looked away, suddenly unable to meet her eyes, as grey as the overcast sky. “The photography is all real. I learned the editing software, I purchased the equipment, I hustled in the industry...my career is real. My </b>
  <b>
    <em>art </em>
  </b>
  <b>is real.</b>
</p><p>
  <b>“My feelings for you...are </b>
  <b>
    <em>real</em>
  </b>
  <b>.”</b>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Callista’s chest suddenly felt rather tight. She finally took a sip of the hot chocolate, feeling some measure of comfort as the rich, warm beverage settled inside her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And what are your feelings for me, exactly?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The conversation had taken an unexpected turn. She hadn’t anticipated they would be discussing, well, </span>
  <em>
    <span>them, </span>
  </em>
  <span>quite so soon.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>“Well...” he started, again feeling vulnerable and off-balance.</b>
</p><p>
  <b>
    <em>She deserves the truth. </em>
  </b>
  <b>The words rang in his head once again - if he wanted something with her that was more than just a passing fascination, he had to tell her everything, both the supernatural and the personal.</b>
</p><p>
  <b>“They are...powerful. They’ve consumed me over the past weeks, made me wonder if I’m losing my mind. They are more potent than anything I’ve felt for anyone else in—“ he counted quickly in his head. “Five hundred and sixty two years. Give or take a year or two.”</b>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Callista suddenly wished she was drinking something a lot stronger than hot chocolate. She took a large gulp.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“My feelings for you are...” she looked at him, searching for the word. “...confused.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m having trouble reconciling the man I knew personally with the man who...” she trailed off, looking at the helm again. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“How did that work, by the way? Your face didn’t change. It looks the same as it has the whole time I’ve known you, but now I recognize you. Why is that?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>“It’s called a ‘glamour.’ It’s a spell that keeps people from recognizing me as THAT Loki.” He pointed to the helmet, then looked back at her. “Obviously, I couldn’t allow the citizens of New York to know they were living alongside their would-be conqueror. I’ve also put up wards around myself and all my personal spaces - the studio, my apartment...this picnic table.”</b>
</p><p>
  <b>He sighed, wishing he had something stronger to drink. With a snap of his fingers, he pulled a bottle of Peppermint Schnapps from his inter-dimensional pocket, opened the cap, and poured a hefty amount into his mug. He looked up at Calli and offered it to her, noticing her mug was nearly empty.</b>
</p><p>
  <b>He made a gesture with his other hand, and her hot chocolate refilled itself to about 3/4s full.</b>
</p><p>
  <b>“Would you like some? I have a feeling we might be here for a while. There is plenty more to discuss, and it will be daylight for another few hours.”</b>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>For a moment Callista just blinked stupidly at her cup as it magically refilled itself. This was going to take some getting used to. But at the same time, she felt a little flutter of excitement in her stomach seeing it happen. Wanting to see more...</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Thank you.” She reached for the soup deciding to try some after all, when a suspicion suddenly crept up on her. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Have you ever used magic on </span>
  <em>
    <span>me</span>
  </em>
  <span>?” She suddenly felt a bit wary of the food and the hot chocolate she had already consumed.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>“No,” he said confidently, hoping to put her at ease. “Absolutely not. I made certain never to use magic on or around other people, unless it was to secretly manifest a tool I needed for something, like the scissors I used to cut you out of those ropes during the last shoot...”</b>
</p><p>
  <b>Norns, images of that night came flooding back into his memory. Of Calli, upside down, posing, pouting, needy...he was glad to be sitting, because his body was reacting without his consent.</b>
</p><p>
  <b>Yet again, he took a deep breath, then a sip of the hot chocolate.</b>
</p><p>
  <b>“I stopped using magic as much as possible after I went into exile. It only caused me trouble, and I knew it would again, if I let it.”</b>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“And my underwear” she said with a smile before she could stop herself.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Immediately she blushed and looked down into her soup. She shouldn’t have said that. It was NOT a good idea to let her brain wander in that direction...</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>“If you’ll recall...” he grinned, loving the red flush in her cheeks. “I didn’t use scissors on your underwear...I </b>
  <b>
    <em>tore </em>
  </b>
  <b>them off of you...”</b>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The memory of that had Callista feeling much too warm for her winter coat, and her thighs pressed together. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Choking on a mouthful of soup  she stammered, “I m-meant the other time. When you made them....disappear?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She blushed again, looking back at her soup. “But that’s not what I mean anyway, magic on my clothes. I mean, what I’m trying to ask is....my feelings for you, the attraction....you didn’t....?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>“I didn’t,” he said sincerely, lifting her chin gently so he could meet her eyes. “I did nothing of the sort. This - whatever is happening between us - this is real.”</b>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She wanted to kiss him </span>
  <em>
    <span>so </span>
  </em>
  <span>badly right then. The simple touch of his fingers on her chin was enough to make every nerve in her body light up like a Christmas tree. But she couldn’t be careless. She had to be smart. It was too easy to be manipulated by a handsome man, especially an ancient alien god with magical powers. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She nodded and he slowly pulled his hand away. And then...she smiled at him. It was a small smile, but the first deliberately given. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>They talked for hours, eating the delicious food Loki had conjured which continued to steam on the table, always the perfect temperature. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>There was one question that burned inside her, but she couldn’t bring herself to ask just yet, afraid of the answer.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>So they discussed his magic, how he conjured a meal like this, changed the temperature around them, made things appear and disappear. And, surprisingly, they talked about his photography too, how he started his career in New York, how he found his niche in that world. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Her phone buzzed again—Lane checking in— and Callista realized the time. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s getting late. My friend is...worried. Thank you, for all of this.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>“My pleasure,” Loki smiled, feeling more relaxed and happy than he had in longer than he could remember. He had been able to get so much off his chest over the last few hours with Callista - all the pain and frustrations and secrets that he hadn’t shared with anyone for years finally came pouring out of him like water from a spigot, and frankly, he almost felt exhausted. In a good way.</b>
</p><p>
  <b>He took Callista’s hand and helped her stand, then smugly wrapped her arm around his, giving her a little wink. He looked at the table, drew a sigil in the air with his hand, and in a flash of gold the table was cleared, the wards were gone...and it was absolutely FREEZING. Calli squeezed him as the frigid air surrounded her.</b>
</p><p>
  <b>
    <em>Oh, right. It’s night. In New York. In the dead of winter.</em>
  </b>
</p><p>
  <b>He quickly cast a smaller ward, keeping them in a bubble of warm as they walked.</b>
</p><p>
  <b>“I am of course going to insist on walking you to wherever it is you’re going, until you’re in an Uber or on a subway, at least,” he said casually as he strolled along the winding paths with her.</b>
</p><p>
  <b>“And then...when can I see you again?”</b>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Right now. Don’t go. Come home with me.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“I do have more questions, actually. And I would like to see you again. I still feel....I still haven’t decided how I feel. It’s a lot to take in, I’m sure you understand.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She pulled out her phone to call an Uber to take her to Lane’s apartment then turned back to him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Do you have a shoot on Monday? I have the day off. Maybe we could...get coffee?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>“I’m free Monday,” he said, instantly thinking of the appointments he would reschedule. It wouldn’t be hard - just a consultation with a potential client and a gallery owner who was interested in putting up some of his work - easy to move around.</b>
</p><p>
  <b>“What time? And where? And I swear to all the gods if you say ‘Central Perk,’ we can never see each other again,” he joked.</b>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She laughed, but shook her head. “No. There’s a little cafe near Bryant Park. ‘The Roast.’ Do you know it? We could go there?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They reached the street and she pulled out her phone to check the status of her Uber, which was just around the block.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>Loki actually laughed when she suggested it. “That’s my favorite coffee shop! When I was panic packing, I made sure to grab the last bag I had, thinking I might not be able to come back!” His laughter softened as a relieved gratitude settled over him like a blanket of New York snowfall.</b>
</p><p>
  <b>“I’m glad we talked, Calli,” he said softly, holding her hand. “Thank you for giving me a chance...you have no idea how much this means to me.”</b>
</p><p>
  <b>As the Uber pulled up, he leaned in and placed a tender kiss on her cheek, then opened the door for her and helped her into the back seat of the car.</b>
</p><p>
  <b>“See you Monday. It’s a date.”</b>
</p><p>
  <b>Then he closed the door, and she drove off into the sunset, leaving his heart fluttering and a glowing smile on his face.</b>
</p>
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